I. K. Piechocka, K. A. Jansen, C. P. Broedersz, F. C. MacKintosh, G. H. Koenderink
The nonlinear elastic properties of fibrin networks are crucial for normal blood clotting. Here, we show that the extraordinary strain-stiffening response of fibrin clots reflects the hierarchical architecture of the fibrin fibers, which are bundles of wormlike protofibrils. We measure the rheology of networks of unbundled protofibrils, and find excellent agreement with an affine model of extensible wormlike polymers. By direct comparison with these data, we show that physiological clots of thick fibers can be modeled as networks of tight protofibril bundles. At high stress, the protofibrils contribute independently to the network elasticity, which may reflect a decoupling of the tight bundle structure. The hierarchical architecture of fibrin fibers can thus account for the enormous elastic resilience characteristic of blood clots.
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http://arxiv.org/abs/1206.3894
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