Red Blood Cells and It's Functions

Red Blood Cells (Erythrocytes)

Characteristics and Function

RBCs Account for approximately 40 to 45 percent of the blood and is the most abundant cells in the blood.
Biconcave disc which is round and flat, sort of like a shallow bowl.
It has a Disk diameter of approximately 6.2-8.2 µm.
They have a thick rim and a thin sunken center.
Can change shape without breaking
Has no nucleus
Production of RBCs is controlled by erythropoietin.
They contain hemoglobin
The iron found in hemoglobin gives the blood its red color (erythrosine red coloration)
They have a life span of 120 days
atleast 4 million new erythrocytes are produced per second in human adults.
Male: 4.3-5.9 million/mm3 and Female: 3.5-5.5 million/mm3
have an increased surface area for the transport of gases.
Hemoglobin is an oxygen carrying protein in reb blood cells
Because red blood cells lack mitochondria they must produce ATP through glycolysis.
As red blood cells age, they become rigid and are more likely to be damaged and are removed by enzymes in the liver and spleen.

Production of Red Blood Cells

Red blood cells production site is the bone marrow of the bones. The production of red blood cells is controlled by a hormone called erythropoietin. They are the hormone produced primarily by the kidneys. RBC's has no nucleus and can easily change shape, which helps them to fit through the various blood vessels in the body

Factors such as :

Hemorrhage
Damage to bone marrow
Exposure to high altitude
Exercise
Hemolytic disease
Low hemoglobin levels

will stimulating the production of RBC

Function of Red Blood Cells

The main function of RBC’s is to transport oxygen from the lungs to tissues and carbon dioxide from tissues to lungs.

The second primary function of RBC’s is to transport nutrients and other essential substances to their specific areas of an individual and in reverse carry waste from their specific areas of the liver.

Destruction of RBC's

They get damaged along with age. The blood cells become delicate and are damaged by passing through narrow capillaries of the blood vessels

Deficiency of Red Blood Cells

Normal blood count of RBC should be in between 4.6 - 6.0 millions. If less than the normal value then this may be due to some deficiency. The deficiency of red blood cells may also cause due to the low level of oxygen in blood cells, deficiency in iron, vitamin B12, blood loss and other infections.