Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid in RBC Maturation

Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid in RBC Maturation

• Vitamin B12 and folic acid are vital for DNA synthesis, a process critical for the maturation of red blood cells (RBCs).

• A deficiency in either vitamin B12 or folic acid disrupts DNA synthesis and nuclear maturation within RBCs.

• While DNA synthesis is impaired, cytoplasmic maturation (controlled by RNA function) continues relatively unaffected.

• The imbalance results in delayed erythropoiesis, leading to a build-up of erythroblastic cells in the bone marrow.

• These immature cells grow but cannot divide at a normal rate, becoming larger than usual – a condition known as megaloblastic anemia.

• This process ultimately produces abnormally large erythrocytes called macrocytes, which exhibit irregular shapes and are prone to breakage.

• The decreased number of RBCs in the blood caused by the fragile macrocytes leads to a condition called megaloblastic anemia or maturation failure anemia.