Erythrocytes (RBC)

Diameter - 7.5um

Thick at Rim - 2.6um

Thick at center - 0.8um

Erthrocytes

Diameter, Thick at rim, Thick in center

men = 4.1-6 million/uL

women = 3.9- 5.5 million/uL in women

normal concentration of erythrocytes in blood

men and women

erythropoiesis

The process of RBC development from stem cells takes about 7 days and is called

RBC Maturation Precursors

• Pronormoblast

• Basophilic normoblast

• Prochromatophilic Normoblast

• Orthrochromatophilic Normoblast

• Reticulocyte

• Mature

PRONORMOBLAST

Earliest morphologically recognizable precursor

BASOPHILIC NORMOBLAST

• Intense basophilic cytoplasm

• The chromatin may be partially clumped, and the pattern may suggest a wheel with broad spokes

POLYCHROMATOPHILIC NORMOBLAST

• Blue-gray to pink-gray cytoplasm

• Last stage of capable of mitosis

• First stage of hemoglobin synthesis

ORTHOCHROMATIC NORMOBLAST

• Small pyknotic nucleus

• Enucleation

• Last nucleated stage

• First stage that is incapable of mitosis

RETICULOCYTE

• Pink to slightly pinkish gray cytoplasm

• Contains fine basophilic reticulum of RNA which is only visible with supravital stain

• Last stage capable for the production of hemoglobin

Mature Erythrpcytes

• 6-8 um diameter

• Salmon pink in color

• Non-nucleated, round, biconcave disc with a central pallor that occupies the middle 1/3 of the cell

• No mitochondria

• PROTEIN (52%)

• LIPID (40%)

• CARBOHYDRATES (8%)

• Three components of RBC Membrane

Erythropoietin (EPO)

hormone glycoprotein produced in the kidney and liver and stimulates the production of globin and enhances the release reticulocytes in the circulation and enhances reticulocytes maturation to mature RBC.

Vitamin B and Folic Acid

Source: Absorbed from Small Intestine

Function: DNA synthesis

protoporphyrin IX and ferrous iron

4 Heme consist of ______ and _______

2 identical pairs of unlike polypeptide chains

4 Globin- consists of _______ and ________

Hemoglobin

It is responsible for transport of O2 from lungs to tissues and CO2 from tissues to lungs.

last 7 months of development

6 months after birth

Fetal Hemoglobin present in the fetus during the _____________ of development in the uterus and replaced by adult hemoglobin within __________

Adult Hemoglobin

• -predominate hemoglobin in an adult -

• subdivided into glycosylated fractions A1c which reflects glucose level in the blood