Question

Red blood cells go through some special modifications as they mature. As a final step, the cells lose their nucleus. Which of the following is a likely consequence?

Answer 1

Red blood cells loose their nucleus because doing this enables them to carry more hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the iron compound in the blood that carries oxygen throughout the body. When the red blood cell looses its nucleus it develops its unique biconcave shape. This shape allows each cell to carry more hemoglobin molecules and this in turn increases the oxygen carrying capacity making the cell more efficient at transporting oxygen.