Fig. 2

AFM topographical images of erythrocytes fixed by glutaraldehyde. A Morphology of individual normal erythrocytes (left) and sickle erythrocytes (right) observed by optical microscopy. B AFM images of normal erythrocytes. Left: multiple erythrocytes; middle: single representative erythrocyte; right: local structures on a single normal erythrocyte. C AFM images of sickle erythrocytes from sickle cell anemia patients. Left: multiple erythrocytes; middle: single representative erythrocyte; right: local structures on a single sickle erythrocyte. D High profiles of the cross sections across the local structures on a single normal (left) or sickle (right) erythrocyte. E Roughness quantification of the local structures on single normal or sickle erythrocyte detected by AFM (n = 25; ***P < 0.001)