Discussion 245 



Mollison: No. 



T.-Duplessis: I just wanted to ask you if there is some relationship 

 in the life-span of a red cell from an animal with a high metabolic rate, 

 and would it have a shorter life-span than one from an animal with a 

 low metabolic rate, for instance from a mouse and a bigger animal? 

 Is there a relationship between the activity of the animal and the life- 

 span of the red cell ? 



Mollison: I do not think I can be very useful on that. I showed the 

 dog as having a red cell life-span roughly the same as in man. Rabbits 

 have about a 60- day life-span. 



Villee: The duck which has, of course, a high body temperature and 

 a rather high rate of metabolism, has red cells with about this same 

 life-span — 100-120 days. 



Villee: It might also be interesting to study red cells of a hibernating 

 animal before, during and after hibernation. 



Mollison: Yes. In the last year or two somebody studied red cell life- 

 span in the hibernating animal. I believe the results were published in 

 Blood last year. 



Parkes: I think when you visit our laboratory, my colleagues will be 

 able to tell you something about the effect on the red cells of freezing 

 the whole animal. 



