Question

Give reason for the following statement.
A matured mammalian erythrocyte lacks nucleus and mitochondria.

Answer 1

RBCs:

1. RBCs (red blood corpuscles) are also known as erythrocytes.
2. They are responsible for the red colour of blood as they contain the pigment haemoglobin.
3. The haemoglobin pigment is the carrier of oxygen in the blood.

Matured Erythrocytes:

1. Matured erythrocytes become enucleated and lack endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria.
2. This helps the cells to have more flexibility for their movement and cannot use oxygen by themselves (cellular respiration occurs in mitochondria).
3. The mammalians lack a nucleus mainly because the RBCs to occupy more space to carry oxygen by haemoglobin.