red blood cell
noun
variants:
or less commonly red blood corpuscle
or red cell
or red corpuscle
Definition of red blood cell
: any of the hemoglobin-containing cells that carry oxygen to the tissues and in mammals are typically biconcave disks which lack a nucleus and cellular organelles and are formed from nucleated cells of the red bone marrow
Note: The number of red blood cells ranges from four to six million in each cubic millimeter of normal human blood. The red color of blood is due to the presence of hemoglobin within the red blood cells.
— called also erythrocyte
— compare white blood cellExamples of red blood cell in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Like men, women need natural testosterone to keep bones healthy, boost cognition, improve muscle mass and create new red blood cells. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Is lack of sleep ruining your sex life?," 5 Sep. 2019 If left untreated, bites can cause hemolysis (rupturing of red blood cells); kidney failure can also occur. — Christina Oehler, Health.com, "Doctors Find Brown Recluse Spider in Woman’s Ear After She Complains of 'Swooshing' Sound," 26 Aug. 2019 In beta thalassemia, the hemoglobin part of red blood cells, which is supposed to pick up oxygen from the lungs and distribute it to the cells in the rest of the body, doesn’t work properly. — Time, "CRISPR Gene Editing Is Being Tested in Human Patients, and the Results Could Revolutionize Health Care," 6 Aug. 2019 Women may also experience dizziness during their periods due to anemia, a condition in which the body doesn't produce enough red blood cells to adequately distribute oxygen throughout the body. — Sophia Caraballo, Woman's Day, "Here's Why You Might Experience Dizziness During Your Period — and Why You Shouldn't Ignore It," 16 Aug. 2019 However, since the genes for adult hemoglobin don’t produce healthy red blood cells in people with beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease, one treatment strategy is to introduce genetic changes that turn on fetal hemoglobin again. — Time, "CRISPR Gene Editing Is Being Tested in Human Patients, and the Results Could Revolutionize Health Care," 6 Aug. 2019 In Tibetans, the changes involve at least two genes, EPAS1 and EGLN1, which suppress the body’s normal production of extra red blood cells in response to low oxygen. — Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, "The World Is Our Niche," 3 June 2019 This genetic mutation, which turns round red blood cells into a crescent (or sickle) shape, first affected farmers on the Niger River delta nearly 8,000 years ago as a defense against mosquitoes. — Katie Wudel, Los Angeles Times, "Review: The mosquito isn’t just annoying — Timothy C. Winegard says we’re at war," 9 Aug. 2019 Some species, like Siphonops paulensis of Central and South America, have glands in their skin that secrete toxins that can damage red blood cells in some animals. — Jason Bittel, National Geographic, "Caecilians," 27 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'red blood cell.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more