Erythrocytes
and Eva Rudolf-Müller, doctorDr. med. Andrea Reiter is a freelance writer for the medical editorial team.
More about the expertsEva Rudolf-Müller is a freelance writer in the medical team. She studied human medicine and newspaper sciences and has repeatedly worked in both areas - as a doctor in the clinic, as a reviewer, and as a medical journalist for various specialist journals. She is currently working in online journalism, where a wide range of medicine is offered to everyone.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.Erythrocytes are rounded blood cells that are responsible for transporting oxygen. They are colored red because they contain the red blood pigment hemoglobin. It binds the oxygen. The amount of erythrocytes in the blood differs between men and women. Too few erythrocytes in the blood can indicate certain diseases. Read everything you need to know about red blood cells!
What are erythrocytes?
The red blood cells in the blood are called erythrocytes. They have a rounded appearance and - in contrast to other body cells - no longer have a nucleus. As a result, they can no longer divide and perish after about 120 days. They are broken down in the spleen and liver.
The bone marrow continuously produces new erythrocytes, about three million per second. One microliter of blood contains around 4.8 to 5.9 million red blood cells in a healthy man, and around 4.3 to 5.2 million in a woman. If you were to put all the erythrocytes in the body side by side, that would be the size of half a football field.
Red blood cells: role and function
The red blood cells have a vital function: They transport oxygen to every corner of the body. Since they contain the red blood pigment "hemoglobin", they are also called red blood cells. The oxygen is bound to the hemoglobin and transported in this way. Oxygen is consumed in the body's cells, producing carbon dioxide.It goes back to the lungs with the erythrocytes. There it is released into the breath and exhaled.
When do you determine the number of erythrocytes?
Determining the number of red blood cells is part of what is known as the “small blood count”. This blood test is carried out routinely before tests under anesthesia, before operations, in the event of infections or if symptoms of any kind persist. The number of erythrocytes is also determined in the following cases:
- Suspected blood disease (anemia, blood cancer, etc.)
- Internal bleeding suspected
- profuse external bleeding
- Kidney disease
- Suspected vitamin deficiency
- Lack of oxygen
Normal erythrocyte values
|
Number per microliter of blood | |
|
women |
4.3-5.2 million |
|
men |
4.8-5.9 million |
When are there too few erythrocytes in the blood?
If there are too few erythrocytes in the blood, one speaks of anemia. During pregnancy and in children, fewer erythrocytes are found in the blood without this having any sign of disease. Anemia can accompany a wide variety of diseases, but it can also be caused by a reduced formation of red blood cells or their loss (bleeding).
Low erythrocyte count due to reduced blood formation
- Iron deficiency
- Vitamin deficiency
- Functional impairment of the bone marrow (e.g. in blood cancer)
Low erythrocyte count due to increased blood loss
- for bleeding in internal organs
- with external bleeding
- if you have heavy menstrual bleeding
- after birth
- after operations
- in so-called "hemolytic anemia" (premature destruction of red blood cells)
Low erythrocyte count due to other diseases
- Infections
- cancer
- rheumatic diseases
Sometimes, however, the bone marrow also produces inoperable red blood cells. They then have a different appearance and are called "dysmorphic red blood cells". The symptoms are similar to those of anemia.
When are there too many erythrocytes in the blood?
Too many erythrocytes are formed in some diseases. One then speaks of a so-called polyglobule. Possible causes are, for example, growths (tumors) that produce the hormone erythropoietin. It stimulates the formation of erythrocytes in the bone marrow. Various lung and heart diseases can also trigger polyglobules.
What to do if the number of erythrocytes in the blood has changed?
A blood test and accompanying symptoms can often determine the cause of a changed erythrocyte count.
If there is a pathological or dangerous reduction in the number of erythrocytes, the doctor will discuss how to proceed with the patient. Sometimes iron or vitamins can help to regenerate the number of red blood cells. In severe cases, however, a blood transfusion is also necessary. If the number of blood cells is high, it is sometimes necessary to do something called "bloodletting".
If the cause of the changed number of erythrocytes is unclear, further examinations must follow in order to identify possible concomitant diseases.
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