What are the functions of red blood cells?
Blood red cells play a role in transporting oxygen, carbon dioxide, and immunity. Blood red cells are primarily red blood cells, which are crucial cell types in the blood. They are responsible for transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide. They appear dark purple when transporting carbon dioxide and bright red when transporting oxygen. If the number of red blood cells decreases to a certain level, anemia may occur.
1. Transportation: Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which has a buffering effect. Hemoglobin is highly active and can bind with both oxygen and carbon dioxide. Therefore, its primary function is to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide. The function of red blood cells is to transport oxygen, electrolytes, glucose, and amino acids, which are essential for human metabolism, as well as carbon dioxide. Additionally, they play a buffering role in maintaining acid-base balance. These two functions are achieved through hemoglobin in red blood cells. If red blood cells rupture, hemoglobin is released and dissolved in the plasma, resulting in the loss of these functions. Red blood cells transport oxygen through hemoglobin, which comprises 90% of the red blood cell's composition. Hemoglobin is a compound related to red blood cells, similar to myoglobin, which stores oxygen in muscle cells. Hemoglobin (Hb) is composed of globin and ferroheme.
2. Immune Function: After immune adhesion with microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, red blood cells not only directly kill them through peroxidase but also promote their phagocytosis by phagocytes. Therefore, the immune function of red blood cells can be considered as one of the factors of the body's anti-infective immunity.
