Where is rbc destroyed

Since oxygen is required for tissue functioning, anemia produces fatigue, lethargy, and an increased risk for infection. An oxygen deficit in the brain impairs the ability to think clearly, and may prompt headaches and irritability. Lack of oxygen leaves the patient short of breath, even as the heart and lungs work harder in response to the deficit. Blood loss anemias are fairly straightforward. In addition to bleeding from wounds or other lesions, these forms of anemia may be due to ulcers, hemorrhoids, inflammation of the stomach gastritis , and some cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.

The excessive use of aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can trigger ulceration and gastritis. Excessive menstruation and loss of blood during childbirth are also potential causes. Anemias caused by faulty or decreased RBC production include sickle cell anemia, iron deficiency anemia, vitamin deficiency anemia, and diseases of the bone marrow and stem cells. Figure 5. Sickle Cells Sickle cell anemia is caused by a mutation in one of the hemoglobin genes.

Erythrocytes produce an abnormal type of hemoglobin, which causes the cell to take on a sickle or crescent shape. It can occur transiently in a person who is dehydrated; when water intake is inadequate or water losses are excessive, the plasma volume falls.

As a result, the hematocrit rises. For reasons mentioned earlier, a mild form of polycythemia is chronic but normal in people living at high altitudes. Some elite athletes train at high elevations specifically to induce this phenomenon.

Polycythemia vera can dangerously elevate the viscosity of blood, raising blood pressure and making it more difficult for the heart to pump blood throughout the body. It is a relatively rare disease that occurs more often in men than women, and is more likely to be present in elderly patients those over 60 years of age. The most abundant formed elements in blood, erythrocytes are red, biconcave disks packed with an oxygen-carrying compound called hemoglobin.

The hemoglobin molecule contains four globin proteins bound to a pigment molecule called heme, which contains an ion of iron. In the bloodstream, iron picks up oxygen in the lungs and drops it off in the tissues; the amino acids in hemoglobin then transport carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs.

Erythrocytes live only days on average, and thus must be continually replaced. Worn-out erythrocytes are phagocytized by macrophages and their hemoglobin is broken down. The breakdown products are recycled or removed as wastes: Globin is broken down into amino acids for synthesis of new proteins; iron is stored in the liver or spleen or used by the bone marrow for production of new erythrocytes; and the remnants of heme are converted into bilirubin, or other waste products that are taken up by the liver and excreted in the bile or removed by the kidneys.

Answer the question s below to see how well you understand the topics covered in the previous section. Show Answers. Skip to main content. Module 2: The Cardiovascular System: Blood. Search for:. Erythrocytes Learning Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Describe the anatomy of erythrocytes Discuss the various steps in the lifecycle of an erythrocyte Explain the composition and function of hemoglobin.

Figure 1. Summary of Formed Elements in Blood. Critical Thinking Questions young woman has been experiencing unusually heavy menstrual bleeding for several years. She follows a strict vegan diet no animal foods. She is at risk for what disorder, and why?

A patient has thalassemia, a genetic disorder characterized by abnormal synthesis of globin proteins and excessive destruction of erythrocytes. This patient is jaundiced and is found to have an excessive level of bilirubin in his blood.

Explain the connection. Show Answers She is at risk for anemia, because her unusually heavy menstrual bleeding results in excessive loss of erythrocytes each month.

At the same time, her vegan diet means that she does not have dietary sources of heme iron. The non-heme iron she consumes in plant foods is not as well absorbed as heme iron. Bilirubin is a breakdown product of the non-iron component of heme, which is cleaved from globin when erythrocytes are degraded.

Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Gallagher PG. Hemolytic anemias: red blood cell membrane and metabolic defects. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Hematopoietic and lymphoid systems. Robbins Basic Pathology. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

Editorial team. Hemolytic anemia. There are several possible causes of hemolytic anemia. Red blood cells may be destroyed due to: An autoimmune problem in which the immune system mistakenly sees your own red blood cells as foreign substances and destroys them Genetic defects within the red cells such as sickle cell anemia , thalassemia , and G6PD deficiency Exposure to certain chemicals, medicines, and toxins Infections Blood clots in small blood vessels Transfusion of blood from a donor with a blood type that does not match yours.

If the problem develops slowly, the first symptoms may be: Feeling weak or tired more often than usual, or with exercise Feelings that your heart is pounding or racing Headaches Problems concentrating or thinking If the anemia gets worse, symptoms may include: Lightheadedness when you stand up Pale skin Shortness of breath Sore tongue Enlarged spleen.

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