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Charles A. Long, emeritus professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, served as honorary chairman of the World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society (WSEAS) Conference in Miami, Fla., last month.
The WSEAS Conference is an international conference on biomathematics in medicine. Most of the papers presented during the event focused on medical investigations and applications with strong emphasis on mathematics.
In addition to serving as chairman, Long presented two papers at the conference, “Mathematical Models and Enigmas in Evolution of Erythrocytes” and “Functional and Physical Extrapolation Relative to Evolution of the Mammalian Erythrocyte.” The papers have been published in “Proceedings of the 2006 WSEAS International Conference on Mathematical Biology and Ecology” and “WSEAS Transactions” respectively. Both papers focused on the unique shape of mammal red blood cells and how they function differently in large and small blood vessels.
The red blood cells in mammals are different from those in birds, reptiles, amphibians or fish. Other animals have streamlined oval blood cells with a nucleus. Mammalian blood cells have what is called a biconcave circular structure, similar in appearance to a doughnut, and no nucleus. This shape, while not streamlined, allows the cells to be incredibly flexible, making it possible for them to change shape to fit into tiny blood vessels and snap back to their original shape when they reenter larger vessels. With out that flexibility, mammalian red blood cells would not be able to carry oxygen to all the parts of the body.
In his two recent papers, Long uses mathematics to explain the shape and function of these unique cells. Using geometry, he explores how the cell structure accounts for significant flexibility. He also looks at how the absence of a nucleus affects the internal pressure of cells and consequently their shape.
Long was aided in his research by UWSP faculty Mark Treuden, associate professor of mathematics, Sol Sepsenwol, professor of biology, and Michael Veum, associate professor of physics and astronomy. “After all,” Long says of his research partnerships, “my field is the natural history of mammals, and natural history is not math or medicine.”
Though Long’s primary field is natural history, he has published several papers on mathematical explanation like the two presented at the WSEAS Conference. His other math related publications include investigations into the life cycles of cicadas, the mathematical nature of tree branching, and a variety of other topics. He also has been published widely in biology, evolution, anatomy, ecology, and many other fields. For the past 40 years he has been working on the manuscript for a book, “Wild Mammals of Wisconsin.” The tome now totals more than 1,500 pages.
Long served as a professor of biology and wildlife management at UWSP from 1966 until his retirement in 1996. During that time he was very active on campus. In 1968 he founded the UWSP Natural History Museum and served as the director for 20 years. Long also worked to create an undergraduate minor in museum studies, one of the first of its kind in the nation, and served as curator of the mammal collection.
Long was a Fulbright Scholar in 1977 and in 1984 he was selected as Outstanding Scholar at UWSP. He has also received the Sigma Xi Outstanding Faculty Research Award, the Puce Faculty Prize in Biology, the Pittsburgh State University Distinguished Alumni Award, and fellowships from several universities. During his career, Long has served as a consultant to the National Geographic Society, World Book Encyclopedia, Argonne National Laboratories, and the Smithsonian Institute National Museum.
