Quantifying physical changes in red blood cells as they mature in the bloodstream
Friday, October 10, 2014 - 11:31
in Biology & Nature
During their approximately 100-day lifespan in the bloodstream, red blood cells lose membrane surface area, volume, and hemoglobin content. A new study finds that of these three changes, only the observed surface-area loss can be explained by RBCs shedding small hemoglobin-containing vesicles budding off their cells' membrane.