Blood 3

Question 1

What is the shape of an RBC?

Answer 1

Biconcave disc

Question 2

What is the diameter of RBCs?

Answer 2

7 or 8 microns

Question 3

What is the lifespan of a RBC?

Answer 3

120 days

Question 4

Why is an RBCs lifespan so short?

Answer 4

Because when they mature, they don’t have a nucleus or other organelles to continue living

Question 5

When do RBCs lose their organelles?

Answer 5

Shortly before leaving the bone marrow

Question 6

Why do RBCs lose their organelles?

Answer 6

To make more room for Hemoglobin

Question 7

Where in a RBC is oxygen bound?

Answer 7

To hemoglobin

Question 8

What is an advantage to the biconcave shape of RBCs?

Answer 8

It makes it more flexible

Question 9

What are the 2 main parts of Hemoglobin?

Answer 9

Heme (non-protein) + Globin (protein)

Question 10

What is the Globin of Hemoglobin made of?

Answer 10

A non-polypeptide of amino acids that is folded back on itself many times

Question 11

How many Globins are in a single Hemoglobin molecule?

Answer 11

4

Question 12

What is the shape of Heme of hemoglobin?

Answer 12

Roughly ring shaped

Question 13

What is in the center of a Heme molecule?

Answer 13

An charged iron atom Fe2+

Question 14

What are the coordination bonds of heme used for?

Answer 14

• 4 for used in binding ferrous iron to part of the heme ring
• 1 used to bind ferrous iron to globin
• 1 used to bind to oxygen

Question 15

Name and describe the process of oxygen binding to Ferrous Iron?

Answer 15

The process is known as oxygenation and ferrous iron remains in the

Question 16

How many Globin and how many Heme molecules are there in a single hemoglobin?

Answer 16

4 Heme and 4 Globin

Question 17

What are the 2 types of Globin chains in Hemoglobin?

Answer 17

Two alpha chains and two beta chains

Question 18

What is the difference between Alpha and Beta Globin chains?

Answer 18

They have minor changes in their amino acid composition

Question 19

What is each Heme associated with?

Answer 19

An alpha or beta globin

Question 20

What is at the center of a Heme unit?

Answer 20

Iron

Question 21

Why is Iron important in the Heme molecule?

Answer 21

Its the part that actually binds to oxygen

Question 22

How do RBCs get iron?

Answer 22

We ingest it in food and transport system take it out of the lumen of the small intestine and take it to the blood which takes it to the bone marrow which uses it to make RBCs which make hemoglobin with it

Question 23

Where are RBCs destroyed at the end of their life cycle?

Answer 23

In the spleen

Question 24

What does the spleen do with the RBCs that are released from broken down RBCs?

Answer 24

They release the iron back into the bloodstream to be reused