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Chapter 31: Problem 27

How does the structure of red blood cells allow them to deliver oxygen to the cells of the body? a. Their size and shape allow them to carry and transfer oxygen. b. Their disc shape contains many small vesicles that allow them to carry and transfer oxygen. c. They have nuclei and do not contain hemoglobin. d. They contain coagulation factors and antibodies.

Short Answer

Expert verified
a. Their size and shape allow them to carry and transfer oxygen.

Step by step solution

01

Identify Key Characteristics of Red Blood Cells

Recall that red blood cells (RBCs) have a unique structure that is crucial for their function. They are biconcave in shape and lack a nucleus.
02

Understand the Biconcave Shape

The biconcave shape increases the surface area-to-volume ratio of RBCs, enhancing their ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.
03

Analyze the Role of Hemoglobin

Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that binds to oxygen. This protein is essential for the transport of oxygen from the lungs to body tissues.
04

Evaluate the Given Options

Review the options carefully considering the known structure and function of RBCs: (a) Correct: Size and shape allow for efficient oxygen transfer. (b) Incorrect: RBCs do not have vesicles for oxygen transfer. (c) Incorrect: RBCs lack nuclei and contain hemoglobin. (d) Incorrect: RBCs do not contain coagulation factors and antibodies.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

biconcave shape of red blood cells
Red blood cells (RBCs) possess a unique biconcave shape. This means they are shaped like a donut with a thin center and a thicker edge.
The biconcave shape provides RBCs with distinct advantages:
  • Increases surface area: The shape maximizes the surface area-to-volume ratio, allowing more oxygen to be absorbed and released quickly.
  • Flexibility: It makes the RBCs more flexible, enabling them to navigate through the narrowest blood vessels in the body.
Because of this efficient design, RBCs can deliver oxygen throughout the body effectively.
Without this specific shape, RBCs would be less efficient in carrying out their primary role of oxygen transport.
hemoglobin
Hemoglobin is a critical protein found in red blood cells. Its main function is to bind to oxygen in the lungs and carry it to tissues throughout the body.

  • Oxygen binding: Hemoglobin molecules can carry up to four oxygen molecules at a time, ensuring each RBC is packed with oxygen.
  • Oxygen release: Once it reaches tissues, hemoglobin releases the oxygen where it is needed.
The presence of hemoglobin is what gives RBCs their characteristic red color. It is essential for the efficient transport and delivery of oxygen.
Red blood cells are packed with hemoglobin and lack a nucleus to maximize space for this important protein.
surface area-to-volume ratio
The surface area-to-volume ratio is a crucial aspect of cell physiology, particularly for red blood cells. This ratio compares the cell's surface area to its overall volume.

Let's explore why this ratio is vital:
  • Enhanced diffusion: A high surface area-to-volume ratio allows for more effective diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide across the cell membrane.
  • Efficient gas exchange: The biconcave shape enhances the surface area, leading to more efficient oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange.
For red blood cells, having a high surface area-to-volume ratio means they can quickly take up oxygen in the lungs and release it in tissues.
This direct impact on RBC efficiency ensures that our body's cells receive the oxygen they need to function properly.
The biconcave shape of RBCs directly contributes to optimizing this ratio.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Insects have open circulatory systems in which blood, or hemolymph, circulates through the body cavity rather than through closed blood vessels. Birds, like other vertebrates, have closed circulatory systems in which blood remains within arteries, veins, and capillaries as it circulates. How has this difference most likely influenced the evolution of birds and insects? a. The open circulatory system of birds warms their entire body quicker, allowing them to live in colder climates more successfully than insects. b. The closed circulatory system allows blood flow to increase to the flight muscles during flight, allowing insects to be better fliers than birds. c. The greater efficiency of a closed circulatory system allowed birds to become larger than insects. d. The simplicity of the open circulatory system allows insects to have a higher metabolism than birds.

The inflammatory response involves increasing blood flow to areas of the body that contain immune system cells fighting a pathogen or foreign object. The inflammatory response is an example of a positive feedback loop. Based on this, what would cause the inflammatory response to stop in a certain area of the body? a. The white blood cells destroy all of the pathogens/foreign objects. b. The white blood cells disperse away from the site. c. More white blood cells arrive to fight the pathogens/foreign objects. d. Fewer white blood cells are needed to finish fighting the infection

Explain how blood types are distinguished from one another. a. Blood types are distinguished on the basis of the presence or absence of different carbohydrates found on the surface of red blood cells. b. Blood types are distinguished on the basis of the presence or absence of different proteins found inside the red blood cells. c. Blood types are distinguished on the basis of the presence or absence of different lipids found on the surface of red blood cells. d. Blood types are distinguished based on the presence or absence of different antigens found on the surface of the red blood cells.

Which of the following statements best defines the open circulatory system? a. In an open circulatory system, blood mixes with interstitial fluid in the hemocoel. b. In an open circulatory system, the blood is separated from the bodily interstitial fluid and contained blood vessels. c. Blood circulates unidirectionally from the heart around systemic circulatory root. d. An open circulatory system uses more energy than a closed circulatory system.

.________ is the phase of the cardiac cycle where the heart contracts, which pushes out the blood and pumps it around the body. a. diastole b. cardiac output c. myocardial infarction d. systole
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