Red+Blood+Cell+-+KF


 * Introduction **

= = = = = Why do red blood cells change color? = The reason why red blood cells change color is because of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an iron containing protein that binds chemically to oxygen molecules. The oxygen travels all throughout your body. The cells sticks to hemoglobin to let it oxygen. Without hemoglobin, our Red Blood Cells wouldn’t be able to transport oxygen. In this picture of hemoglobin you can see that the oxygen is traveling into the red blood cells attaching hemoglobin and iron. Hemoglobin makes red blood cells red because, when oxygen binds to the iron in hemoglobin, the red blood cell turns a dark red. Hemoglobin uses the iron to bind to oxygen molecules, and transport oxygen to all of the cells in our body.

Red blood cells have a unique structure, red blood cells are shaped like a donut. They are shaped like a donut because the cell has more surface area on the outside, and that helps the red blood cell hold more oxygen. The hemoglobin sticks to oxygen, and when it sticks to oxygen it carries more oxygen.
 * How are red blood cells structured? **


 * How does a red blood cell function? **

Hemoglobin is the protein inside red blood cells, and that carries oxygen all throughout your body. Hemoglobin combines with oxygen in the lungs. The red blood cells not only carry oxygen throughout the body, but they also help remove carbon dioxide from the body.