Hemoglobin : Let us start a story a four year boy saw his father killing cockroach with broom after cockroach was killed the boy surprised to see white liquid coming out of cockroach body. He asked his father why the blood is white?
It was due to absence of red pigment hemoglobin which gives red colour to a blood.
A primitive circulation system works for cockroach.Cockroach is on this planet for last 350millions year.
They have net work of tubes called trachea
Through which it takes oxygen.
Frog could.breath through skin .Frog's red blood cell is having a nucleus.
Human beings are devoid of nucleus in mature RBC .The reason for this change
Is red blood should be able to occupy maximum Hemoglobin . Analogy is we find less sits in shuttle buses at air port to accommodate more passengers.
Structure of Hemoglobin:
Hemoglobin is manufactured in bone marrow it has two parts heme and globin.
Heme is non protein it has iron and porphyrin .Globin has two alpha
And 2beta chains .Each chain carries heme component which is capable of binding one oxygen molecule thus each hemoglobin carries 4 oxygen molecule. In single red blood cell
350million hemoglobin molecules great this is because red blood.cell is devoid of nucleus.
So 350x4=1400 million oxygen molecules are carried by single Red Blood Cell.
350million hemoglobin molecules great this is because red blood.cell is devoid of nucleus.
So 350x4=1400 million oxygen molecules are carried by single Red Blood Cell.
Functions of Hemoglobin:
Combines with oxygen from the lungs and delivers to all body tissues(a group of cells having similar size shape and function )where it is required to provide energy for chemical reactions of living cells. CO2 which is produce as waste product of these reactions is transported to the lungs for excreation during breathing out.
This is the job of Red Blood Cell day and night .After 120days red cells are destroyed in spleen the macrophages (Big eaters) eat red blood cells. Red blood cells iron is recycle.
What is Anemia? When blood's ability to carry oxygen is reduced can result from too little hemoglobin ,too few red blood cells or both.
Symptoms: Fatigue headache dizziness ,paleness and breathlessness .
Types of.Anemia:
1) Iron deficiency Anemia: Most common form of anemia world wide.
Lack of iron prevents the bone marrow from making sufficient hemoglobin for red blood cells .Cells produced are small(microcytic) and pale and have a reduced oxygen carrying capacity.
Causes:a) menstrual blood losses
b) Iron losses exceeds iron intake
c) Pregnancy
d)Peptic ulcer
e) Poor absorption of iron from the diet
f) Insufficient intake
2) Megaloblastic anemia:
Caused due to deficiency of vitamin B12 ,Folic acid
Red blood cells are deformed enlarge known as macrocytes ,reduced oxygen carrying capacity .
3) Malaria parasite entering the blood after an infective mosequto bite.
At the end of infective cycle the blood cell ruptures .This lowers red blood cells and causes anemia.
Hemoglobin Test : Report is expressed as gms/dl
It means grams per 100 cc of blood.
Men 13to 18 is normal so men should have the number within 13to 18 range
Women 11.5 to 16.50.is normal
If for men report value for hemoglobin is less than 13 he is anemic
And for women report less.than 11.5 is anemic
Nice post, a simplistic explanation of the importance of RBC, what is anemia and it symptoms.
ReplyDeleteThe cockroach story was good, could have been made little more explanatory and interesting