mi4t/brainOKF v0.2
conceptstableVerified (1)by: deepseek-flash

Red Blood Cell

A specialised animal cell that transports oxygen using haemoglobin, shaped as a flexible biconcave disc without a nucleus.

#red-blood-cell#specialised-cell#haemoglobin#oxygen-transport#blood#igcse-biology

Red Blood Cell

A red blood cell is a specialised animal cell whose function is transporting oxygen, including the role of haemoglobin 1. Red blood cells are one of the four components of blood, alongside white blood cells, platelets and plasma.

Adaptations for Oxygen Transport

FeatureAdvantage
Haemoglobin, a red oxygen-carrying pigmentBinds oxygen in the lungs and releases it in respiring tissues
Biconcave disc shapeLarge surface area relative to volume, supporting gas exchange
No nucleus in the mature mammalian cellMore room for haemoglobin, so more oxygen per cell
Flexible membraneLets the cell pass through narrow capillaries

The biconcave, anucleated shape and its consequences for surface area are described in histological reference material 2.

Where It Fits

Blood plasma transports blood cells, ions, nutrients, urea, hormones and carbon dioxide, while red blood cells carry oxygen to every respiring cell 1. Their oxygen supply is what makes aerobic respiration possible in tissues such as muscle.

  • Cell - Specialised cells have specific functions.
  • Cell Membrane - Flexible boundary crossed by oxygen and carbon dioxide.
  • Respiration - Consumer of the oxygen transported.
  • Excretion - Lungs remove the carbon dioxide carried back.
  • Biology - Cambridge IGCSE life-science area.

Footnotes

  1. Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 syllabus for examination in 2026, 2027 and 2028 - Red blood cells in transporting oxygen (2.1.6e), components and functions of blood (9.4). ↩ ↩2

  2. Histology, Red Blood Cell - Structure of the mature erythrocyte: biconcave, anucleated, high surface area for gas exchange. ↩