What are red blood cells and what is their function?
Understand the Problem
The content discusses the characteristics and functions of red blood cells, including their formation, the role of hemoglobin, and their unique biconcave shape for oxygen absorption.
Answer
Red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues and remove carbon dioxide, made in bone marrow.
Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are the most numerous cells in blood, produced in bone marrow. Their main function is to transport oxygen from the lungs to body tissues and return carbon dioxide to the lungs. They have a biconcave shape and lack a nucleus.
Answer for screen readers
Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are the most numerous cells in blood, produced in bone marrow. Their main function is to transport oxygen from the lungs to body tissues and return carbon dioxide to the lungs. They have a biconcave shape and lack a nucleus.
More Information
Red blood cells have a unique biconcave shape to maximize surface area for gas exchange, and they live for about 120 days.
Tips
A common mistake is thinking red blood cells have nuclei; they do not, which allows more space for hemoglobin.
Sources
- Red Blood Cells: Function, Role & Importance - Cleveland Clinic - my.clevelandclinic.org
- What Are Red Blood Cells? - University of Rochester Medical Center - urmc.rochester.edu
- Red Blood Cells - Red Cross Blood Donation - redcrossblood.org
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