Red+Blood+Cells+-+CW

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= Introduction = Ever wonder why you can run, walk, jump, skip, stand, throw, dance, or even give a thumbs up? We all have energy that helps us do these things, and we use energy all the time. That’s why the job of a red blood cell is so important, they travel throughout our bodies delivering oxygen to heart, lungs, body cells, and tissues. Although their name, erythrocyte in greek translation means red cells, surprisingly, baby red blood cells are actually blue because of oxidation(the process of being combined with oxygen). Their shape, amount and size is important to their job because if they don't have their key qualities, diseases such as anemia can occur.

= Red Blood Cell Workers = We all have jobs in the this world, like teachers, lawyers, coaches, accountants, store managers, nurs es, doctors, plumbers, etc. but there are also millions of cells working in each of our bodies too. Red blood cells travel in our blood, picking up oxygen. It’s important to note that hemoglobin, according to eMedicineHealth, is a “complex protein found in red blood cells that contains an iron molecule.” Hemoglobin help maintain the shape of the red blood cell as well as holding onto to the oxygen that the red blood cell picked up. Once they’ve made their delivery of oxygen and nutrients, the red blood cells “returns to your heart and lungs to pick up more oxygen.” States the article “Heart” by Rosen Publishing. As a result, the body cells get their oxygen then convert it into energy. You use that energy all the time so it's a good thing our small workers are doing their job, however, the only reason red blood cells can work is because of its structure.

= Structure of a R ed Blood Cell= Since red blood cells have to work their way around the body through capillaries, arteries, and veins, their shape must be pretty small to fit through all of those tiny pathways of the body. A red blood cell has a flexible membrane which means it's 7mm area can fit through a 3mm sized capillary. There is a dip in the center of our red blood cells making it look like a donut with a hole, this donut shape actually helps it do its job because the dip “creates more space to hold more oxygen”(Erythrocytes"), however they've made more room for the oxygen by losing its nucleus and other organelles. With the lack of organelles, red blood cells cannot repair themselves. Their lifespan is only 120 days and 2-3 million of our bodies workers dies every second. Without the prominent structure of the millions of red blood cells in our bodies, we can’t get th e energy we need and blood cells can occur.

= Are There Diseases That Affect Red Blood Cells? = The structure of the red blood cell is why our bodies work, but when it goes from its donut-like structure to a rigid crescent shape, that’s when we get sick. When our bodies have a lack of red blood cells in our body, it could lead to some symptoms like: trouble concentrating, fatigue, muscle weakness, shortness of breath, blood to brain, and fast heart beat, which are all signs of anemia. It’s caused by a lack of iron which produces the protein hemoglobin. Red blood cells can’t work without hemoglobin, it’s like a plumber coming to fix your pipes without any tools! And without the red blood cells tools, our body can’t get the oxygen that we need to create energy. Under a microscope a normal blood sample will consist of many red blood cells and white blood cells packed together, however in a sample of blood infected with anemia, there are less red blood cells(right). Good news! Unless your parents or grandparents have had this disease, you don’t have to worry about getting infected since it is an inherited. Another red blood cell disease is called sickle cell anemia. Its when a genetic mutation makes the cell bumpy and crescent-shaped which can block up the capillaries, blocking blood flow to organs, and because of their deformity they can’t hold as much oxygen without their dip. media type="youtube" key="Ty6TfxCYPQI" width="560" height="315"

= Conclusion = A firefighter helps us in fires, police patrol the streets to keep us safe, and doctors work in hospitals to keep us alive, but if it weren’t for the millions of red blood cells doing their job, we wouldn't be able to do our own. That's why our tiny workers are so important to have because without them, we wouldn't even be able to circulate blood let alone stand up and walk around. They allow us to live as the work in our bodies to get us the oxygen we need, so overall, if it weren't for our red blood cells, would there even be a human existence? media type="custom" key="28997441" align="center"

= References =

Corcoran, Mary K., and Jef Czekaj. The Circulatory Story. Watertown, Charlesbridge, 2010. Erythrocytes “Heart.” PowerKnowledge Life Science, Rosen Publishing, www.pklifescience.com/article/427/heart. Accessed 10 Jan. 2017. https://www.brainpop.com/health/bodysystems/blood/ http://www.healthline.com/health/blood-cell-disorers#symptoms2 http://www.redbloodcellbooks.com/rbc7.html http://www.emedicinehealth.com/hemoglobin_levels/article_em.htm Padilla, Michael J., et al. Prentice Hall Science Explorer. Boston, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.

“What is anemia? | Hematologic System Diseases | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy.” Youtube, uploaded by Khanacademymedicine, 18 June 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty6TfxCYPQI. Accessed 3 Feb. 2016.