red blood cells shape helps them?

Question

does the slight depression on the center of the cell help in in any way to do its job?

Answer 1

It gives them more surface area to pick up more oxygen.
It makes them more flexible to fit through small capillaries.

Answer 2

Well a red blood cell is responsible for distributing the oxygen in the body. The shape allows them to pick up Oxygen more easily, and having Iron helps them pick up the Oxygen more. People with anemia, are often tired, and this is due to the fact that they either do not have enough Iron so the red blood cells can pick up Oxygen, or the red blood cell is disformed, like in Sickle Cell Anemia, where the blood cell actually looks like a sickle and cannot pick up any Oxygen. They often get blood transfusions to help.

Answer 3

The hemoglobin is a cup shaped cell that allows gases to bind easily to its surface, such as Oxygen, Carbon dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Methane among others. It's shape is vital in carrying these gases to and from the tissue to the lungs and visa versa. A relatively common genetic decease in Black people is Sickle Cell Anemia. Their bodies produce malformed hemoglobin cells, shaped like a quarter moon. Without the scooped out center of a normal cell, it's oxygen carrying capacity is very limited. This disease requires blood transfusions throughout the persons life. The individual becomes hypoxic and requires "good blood cells" to carry the gases from one place to another.

Answer 4

Biconcave RBC can carry more oxygen and carbondioxide on surface and they can fold and squeeze through narrow capillaries. A change in shape causes wide spread agglutination as in Hereditary Spherocytosis or Sickle cell anemia.

Answer 5

yes, usually a healthy rbc will have the shape of a donut