) ▁hyp oph osph atem ia ▁Bart on ell osis ▁S nake ▁b ite ▁hy pos pl en ism ▁Rh - null ▁phen ot ype ▁ ▁Path oph ys i ology ▁S pher oc yt osis ▁most ▁often ▁refers ▁to ▁her edit ary ▁spher oc yt osis . ▁This ▁is ▁caused ▁by ▁a ▁mole cular ▁defect ▁in ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁of ▁the ▁prote ins ▁of ▁the ▁red ▁blood ▁cell ▁c yt os ke leton , ▁including ▁ ▁spect rin , ▁an ky rin , ▁Band ▁ 3 , ▁or ▁Prote in ▁ 4 . 2 . ▁ ▁Because ▁the ▁cell ▁ske leton ▁has ▁a ▁defect , ▁the ▁blood ▁cell ▁contract s ▁to ▁a ▁sphere , ▁which ▁is ▁its ▁most ▁surface ▁t ension ▁efficient ▁and ▁least ▁flexible ▁configuration . ▁Though ▁the ▁spher ocy tes ▁have ▁a ▁smaller ▁surface ▁area ▁through ▁which ▁o xygen ▁and ▁carbon ▁dio x ide ▁can ▁be ▁ex changed , ▁they ▁in ▁themselves ▁perform ▁ade qu ately ▁to ▁maintain ▁health y ▁o xygen ▁supplies . ▁ ▁However , ▁they ▁have ▁a ▁high ▁os m otic ▁frag ility — when ▁placed ▁into ▁water , ▁they ▁are ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁burst ▁than ▁normal ▁red ▁blood ▁cells . ▁These ▁cells ▁are ▁more ▁pr one ▁to ▁physical ▁de grad ation . ▁ ▁In ▁short , ▁spher oc yt osis ▁has ▁an ▁attribute ▁of ▁decre ased ▁cell ▁de form ability . ▁ ▁Di agn osis ▁S pher oc yt osis ▁can ▁be ▁diagn osed ▁in ▁Per i pher al ▁blood ▁film ▁by ▁seeing ▁spher ical ▁red