Skip to main content
Pearson+ LogoPearson+ Logo

Erythrocytes definitions Flashcards

Erythrocytes definitions
Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/15
  • Erythrocytes
    Small, biconcave cells lacking a nucleus, crucial for gas transport in the blood.
  • Biconcave shape
    A flattened disc with a depressed center, enhancing flexibility and gas exchange.
  • Spectrin
    A cytoplasmic protein that maintains the shape of red blood cells.
  • Hemoglobin
    A protein in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide.
  • Anucleate
    Cells that lack a nucleus, such as erythrocytes.
  • Gas transport
    The primary function of erythrocytes, involving oxygen and carbon dioxide.
  • Cytoplasmic proteins
    Proteins within the cell that help maintain its structure, like spectrin in erythrocytes.
  • Capillaries
    Tiny blood vessels where erythrocytes must fold to pass through.
  • Flexibility
    The ability of erythrocytes to bend and fit through narrow spaces.
  • Surface area to volume ratio
    A characteristic of erythrocytes that maximizes gas exchange efficiency.
  • Mitochondria
    An organelle absent in erythrocytes, typically involved in energy production.
  • Endoplasmic reticulum
    An organelle absent in erythrocytes, involved in protein and lipid synthesis.
  • Golgi apparatus
    An organelle absent in erythrocytes, involved in modifying and packaging proteins.
  • Diameter
    The measurement across erythrocytes, approximately 7.5 micrometers.
  • Flattened disc
    The shape of erythrocytes, similar to a donut without a hole.