Table of Contents
What is the structure and function of a blood cell?
Erythrocytes
| Structure | Biconcave shape Do not contain organelles (including nucleus) Contain only hemoglobin |
|---|---|
| Function | Gas exchange and transport between lungs, blood and tissues (oxygen and carbon dioxide) Determining blood type |
| Origin | Red bone marrow (flat bones) |
What are the structural components of blood?
Blood is essential for maintaining the health and life of the human body. It has many functions, including delivering nutrients and oxygen. The four main components of blood are red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, and platelets.
How does the structure of blood relate to its function?
Its biconcave shape maximises the surface area to increase efficiency of oxygen absorption. Its shape also allows it to ”squeeze” through narrow vessels and can enter even the thinnest capillaries around the body. Red blood cells do not have a nucleus, which again increase the oxygen capacity.
What is the hemoglobin structure?
Each hemoglobin molecule is made up of four heme groups surrounding a globin group, forming a tetrahedral structure. Heme, which accounts for only 4 percent of the weight of the molecule, is composed of a ringlike organic compound known as a porphyrin to which an iron atom is attached.
What is the structure of WBC?
What is a white blood cell? A white blood cell, also known as a leukocyte or white corpuscle, is a cellular component of the blood that lacks hemoglobin, has a nucleus, is capable of motility, and defends the body against infection and disease.
What is the structure of erythrocytes?
The most abundant formed elements in blood, erythrocytes are red, biconcave disks packed with an oxygen-carrying compound called hemoglobin. The hemoglobin molecule contains four globin proteins bound to a pigment molecule called heme, which contains an ion of iron.
How does the structure of red blood?
they contain haemoglobin – a red protein that combines with oxygen. they have no nucleus so they can contain more haemoglobin. they are small and flexible so that they can fit through narrow blood vessels. they have a biconcave shape (flattened disc shape) to maximise their surface area for oxygen absorption.
What is the structure and function of Haemoglobin?
Hemoglobin is a protein made up of four amino acid chains. Each of these chains contains heme, a compound that contains iron and transports oxygen in the bloodstream. The pigment in hemoglobin is responsible for the red color of blood.