European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

REVIEW: BLOOD AS A BIOLOGICAL MATTER AND ITS BIOPHYSICAL BEHAVIOUR

Y. K. Lahir*

ABSTRACT

Matter of an ecosystem is biological and non-biological in nature and both are different in their physical features and behavior. Basically, biological matter (living and non-living) is of organic nature primarily consisting of elements like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and few salts. These are organised in micro and macromolecular structural contents. In due course of development, the living organic matter differentiates in to cells, tissues, organs or specialized systems along with body fluids present in an organism. Physiochemically all living being exist as biological matter. It constantly interacts with the environment which provides the varied configurations to landscape and sustains life-processes on the planet. Having a better insight of the mechanical and related properties of matter, it facilitates innovative and therapeutic approaches towards life. Blood (body fluid) is responsible for the physicophysiological reciprocal coherency among cells, tissues, organs, and biosystems. It is also responsible for corelative interactions with micro and ambient environments; its perpetual ability to sense biophysical and biochemical cues and to respond. This sensing nature causes suitable adjustments between the biosystem and the respective environment. All these phenomena establish its interactions with specific, normal and abnormal environments and the survival. Blood or any-body fluid experiences various mechanical, biophysical and rheological homeostatic cues and responds involving ‘feed-back system’. Further, the cellular components of blood/body-fluid also add to its biophysical and biochemical status resulting changes in its nature, texture and physical materialistic properties. The related investigations help to understand the changes in its nature during the processes like repairing, healing, growth and senescence. Such studies also explain wound, healing that help in tissues culture, tissue engineering and other biomedical practices. This presentation is an overview of the basic and current status of blood as biomaterials and its biophysical significance and future perspectives.

Keywords: biofluid-dynamic-state, eryptosis, hematocrit-values, hemorheology, hydrogels, non-Newtonian fluid and Newtonian fluid, membrane-potential or transmembrane-potential, membrane-voltage shear-stress, shear-rate, ‘trans-asymmetry’, voltage-dependent-channels