Erythrocytes are the Carriers of Hemoglobin
- Mature red blood cells are called erythrocytes. They are biconcave disks that are flexible and
smaller than most other cells, allowing them to pass through small capillaries to deliver oxygen throughout the body
- A typical human erythrocyte contains around 3 x 108 hemoglobin molecules.
- Mammalian erythrocytes lack a nucleus and other cellular organelles, in order to maximize their capacity
for carrying hemoglobin. Consequently, they have a limited lifespan of around 3 months, and must be continually
replenished through stem cell division and differentiation