The Fahraeus--Lindqvist effect is the reduction of blood's apparent viscosity as a small vessel narrows over much of the microvascular range. Red blood cells migrate toward the centre and leave a relatively low-viscosity cell-free plasma layer near the wall.
A cell-free layer is a near-wall region of plasma depleted of suspended blood cells. Because plasma is less viscous than the cell-rich core, the layer can substantially reduce hydraulic resistance.
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