Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Red blood cells (RBCs), referred to as erythrocytes (from Ancient Greek erythros ' red ' and kytos ' hollow vessel ', with -cyte translated as 'cell' in modern usage) in academia and medical publishing, also known as red cells, [1] erythroid cells, and rarely haematids, are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate's principal means of delivering oxygen (O 2) to the body tissues ...
A red blood cell in a hypotonic solution, causing water to move into the cell A red blood cell in a hypertonic solution, causing water to move out of the cell. Hemolysis or haemolysis (/ h iː ˈ m ɒ l ɪ s ɪ s /), [1] also known by several other names, is the rupturing of red blood cells (erythrocytes) and the release of their contents into surrounding fluid (e.g. blood plasma).
It occurs in a hypotonic environment, where water moves into the cell by osmosis and causes its volume to increase to the point where the volume exceeds the membrane's capacity and the cell bursts. The presence of a cell wall prevents the membrane from bursting, so cytolysis only occurs in animal and protozoa cells which do not have cell walls.
A feedback loop involving erythropoietin helps regulate the process of erythropoiesis so that, in non-disease states, the production of red blood cells is equal to the destruction of red blood cells and the red blood cell number is sufficient to sustain adequate tissue oxygen levels but not so high as to cause sludging, thrombosis, or stroke ...
Overview of signal transduction pathways involved in apoptosis. Cell death is the event of a biological cell ceasing to carry out its functions. This may be the result of the natural process of old cells dying and being replaced by new ones, as in programmed cell death, or may result from factors such as diseases, localized injury, or the death of the organism of which the cells are part.
A defect of the enzyme results in the premature breakdown of red blood cells. This destruction of red blood cells is called hemolysis. [6] Red blood cell breakdown may be triggered by infections, certain medication, stress, or foods such as fava beans. [1] [3] Depending on the specific mutation the severity of the condition may vary. [2]
Mature red blood cells are unique among cells in the human body in that they lack a nucleus (although erythroblasts do have a nucleus). The condition of having too few red blood cells is known as anemia, while having too many is polycythemia. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is the rate at which RBCs sink to the bottom (when placed in a ...
Hemolysins or haemolysins are lipids and proteins that cause lysis of red blood cells by disrupting the cell membrane.Although the lytic activity of some microbe-derived hemolysins on red blood cells may be of great importance for nutrient acquisition, many hemolysins produced by pathogens do not cause significant destruction of red blood cells during infection.