Red Blood Cell count
measure / Female
Normal range / Male
Normal range
Red Blood Cell count / 4-6 million RBC/mm3 / 4-6 million RBC/mm3
Hematocrit / 37-47% / 42-54%
Hemoglobin / 12-16 g/100 ml / 14-18 g/100ml
Reticulocytes / 1-2% / 1-2%

Biol 256 Unit 3 B worksheet – Red Blood Cells

1.) Gas exchange in the vascular system takes place at the ______level.Capillary

2.) The functions of blood include ____transportation, regulation (pH, temperature and osmotic pressure) and protection (leukocytes, antibodies, clotting – platelets) .

3.) Average blood volume in males and females is 5liters, which is __8% of body weight.

4.) B3 Blood plasma is the blood inside your vascular system right now and inside a test tube with an anticoagulantsolution in it.

5.) Blood serum is the liquid portion of your blood after your blood hasclottedBlood serum has more/lessprotein in it than plasma.

6.) Red Blood Cells are also callederythrocytes and they contain no nucleusand no mitochondira.

7.) RBCs are biconcave diskin shape and do not consume the oxygen they transport.

8.) RBCs have no mitochondria, but they still do ATP (anaerobically) to get the minute amount of energythat they are going to need.

9.) Oxyhemoglobin (HbO) is hemoglobin bound to oxygen.

10.) Deoxyhemoglobin is hemoglobin after oxygen diffuses into the tissues.

11.) Carbaminohemoglobin is thehemoglobin bound to carbon dioxide (attached to the amino acides of Hb not the heme.)

12.) In cyanohemoglobin, cyanide binds hemoglobin (at iron of heme) turning the heme blue and blocking its ability to carry oxygen. (side note: skin becomes bluish)

13.) Carboxyhemoglobin is when carbon monoxide binds hemoglobin, turning it cherry red and blocking its ability to bindoxygen.

14.) Hematopoiesis is the formation of blood cells. (any type of blood cell)

15.) The formation of Red Blood Cells is called Erythropoiesiswhile the formation of White Blood Cells is called Leukopoiesis. (erythr – from Greek – red; leuk- from Greek – meaning white).

16.) Formation of RBCs is controlled by erythropoietin (EPO) a hormone made and released by the kidneys which main function is to filter the blood. (low number of RBC or lack of oxygen, EPo will be released by the kidneys. When in high altitudes – there is less O2 available in the air, thus kidneys release EPO)

17.) Dietary requirements of erythropoiesis require proteins, lipids and carbohydrates.

18.) Circulating iron is loosely bound to a transport protein called transferrin it transports iron to red bone marrow.(iron is never found suspended alone in the blood – too toxic – it is always bound to a protein to be either transported or stored. )

19.) Red Blood Cells have a life span of 120 days (4 months), while platelets have a life span of 5to 9days.