Erythrocytes are specialized cells and the most populous blood cells. The cell is found in vertebrate organisms. They exist in the plasma fluid of the blood of such organisms; within their circulatory systems. Red blood cells serve a primary role in transporting respiratory gasses by the hemoglobin protein, which dissolves oxygen in the lungs to form oxyhemoglobin and is taken to the various body systems where it dissociates into oxygen and hemoglobin (Gladwin, 2006). It similarly transports carbon (IV) oxide from the body by forming carboxy-hemoglobin which dissociates in the lungs to form hemoglobin and carbon (IV) oxide which is then exhaled.
Erythrocytes play an essential role in homeostatic functions of organisms. By principle, the erythrocytic hemoglobin serves to regulate the availability of Nitric Oxide (NO), which serves a crucial part in modulating thrombosis, cellular proliferation and controlling the normal vasomotor tone (Gladwin, 2006). Red blood cells are flexible discs that have a biconcave shape. They can be described as sacks that carry hemoglobin while plasma membrane is the sack. Erythrocytes have a cell membrane and like most other organelles to create ample space for more hemoglobin.
The cells contain specific and unique components unique to themselves like the hemoglobin protein which is the respiratory gas transporter. Another uniqueness is in the shape of the cells. Red blood cells do not reproduce. Instead, they live for an approximate 120 days and die. They are then broken down and new ones manufactured in the bone marrow (Gladwin, 2006). Red blood cells only exist in vertebrates and a few invertebrates.
Gladwin, MT. (2006). Role of the red blood cell in nitric oxide homeostasis and hypoxic vasodilation. In Hypoxia and Exercise, 189 – 205.
Choose a type of cell that has not already been chosen and answer the following questions. This list of questions is not inclusive, so feel free to add in other information that you might find that is relevant to the topic.
1. What type of cell is it?2. What type of organism is the cell found in?3. Where in the organism is the cell found?4. What is its function or duty?5. How does it contribute to the ability of the organism to maintain homeostasis6. Describe the cell’s characteristics.7. Are there organelles?8. Does the cell contain components that are unique to that type of cell?9. Can the cell reproduce, if so, how does this occur?10. Is this type of cell found in other organisms?
Other types of cells include
Meristematic cells, parenchyma cells, collenchyma cells, sclerenchyma cells, dinoflagellates, diatoms, euglena, paramecium, amoeba, yeast, merkel cells, cone cells, rod cells, taste receptor cells, chromatophores, melanocytes, keratinocytes, auditory cells called hair cells, eggs (also known as oocytes), sperm cells (also known as spermatocytes), zygote, leydig cells, ovarian follicle cells, prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic cells, skeletal muscle cells, smooth muscle cells, cardiac muscle cells, adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells, adipocytes, beta cells, henle thin segment cells, osteoclasts, chondrocytes, hepatocytes, neurons, platelets, red blood cells (also known as erythrocytes), neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages, or dendritic cells.
