Station 1 - Red Blood Cells
Red blood cells are round, disc- shaped cells with out a nucleus. Their cell membrane contains proteins that provide the cell with flexibility, allowing them to squeeze through tiny blood vessels. There are apporimately 5,000,000, yes five million cells in each mililiter(mL) of blood. Red blood cells import O2 and export CO2 to and from the cells of the body. Red blood cells are formed in the bone marrow tissue of longer bones like the femur.
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They also have a life span of 120 days. the amount of red blood cells in the blood is monitored and kept in check by the kidney. the kidney can signal for increased production of red blood cells when numbers get too low.
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Questions: (Record answers in your journal)
- How does the structure of the red blood cell enable movement through blood vessels?
- Why is it important to have a large number of red blood cells in your blood?