Velocity sedimentation in isotonic saline and sucrose buffer as a possible method of fractionating normal erythrocytes.

On velocity sedimentation in isotonic saline and sucrose buffer, normal human erythrocytes could be fractionated into many different populations. The fastest sedimenting cells consisted entirely of normal discocytes, had a tendency to form clusters of eight to ten cells, were less fragile, and seemed to be separable into two distinct groups of different buoyant densities. The slowest sedimenting cells were echinocytes, did not clump, showed extreme fragility, and were of similar density.