How are the red blood cells produced in the body, and what might stimulate this process?

What will be an ideal response?


The red blood cells are produced in the red marrow of the bones. Here the immature cells produce large amounts of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin molecules push the nucleus and other organelles out of the cell. The erythrocytes can now leave the red marrow and circulate in the bloodstream. The total life span of a red blood cell is about 120 days, and it travels approximately 100 kilometers. Red blood cell production usually equals red blood cell destruction. After the oxygen supply to the cells decreases, more red blood cells are produced to compensate for this deficit. A wound or blood donation also stimulates red cell production. The hormone erythropoietin is released from the kidney cells, and it travels to the marrow, causing both immature and mature cells to develop.

Biology & Microbiology

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Energy from sunlight can excite electrons, kicking them out of their orbitals and creating free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive atoms or molecules that have unpaired electrons and degrade and destroy other compounds in their vicinity

Carotenoids, one of the pigments present in most chloroplasts, can stabilize these free radicals. This suggests that _____. A) once chloroplasts are destroyed, the free radicals will destroy the cell B) carotenoids probably have a protective function in the cell C) free radicals induce the synthesis of carotenoids in chloroplasts D) carotenoids communicate directly with the immune system of plants

Biology & Microbiology

If the frequency of the recessive allele is 30 percent,

the frequency of the heterozygous carrier is what percent? a. 42 b. 9 c. 27 d. 60 e. 80

Biology & Microbiology

Acid rain occurs when

a. carbon dioxide combines with water in the atmosphere. b. phosphorus-rich water in lakes evaporates to form phosphoric acid. c. sulfur released in burning fossil fuels combines with water in the atmosphere. d. excess hydrogen is released into the atmosphere where ozone is formed. e. bacteria in the soil break down nitrates to nitrogen gas, which then combines with moisture in the atmosphere to form nitric acid.

Biology & Microbiology

Which of the following respiratory disorders might be cured in the future through the use of gene therapy?

A. asthma B. emphysema C. cystic fibrosis D. lung cancer E. pulmonary fibrosis

Biology & Microbiology