ISSN: 2578-501X
Authors: Okolo RC*, Ufelle SA, Achukwu PU and Ngwu ES
The red blood cells are biconcave disc in shape, flattened and depressed in the center. The shape with its high surface area to volume (SAPV) ratio helps to accelerate diffusion of gases. The red cell membrane consists of bilayers of proteins and lipids which are rich in the glycosphingolipids that reside on the red blood cells and serve as the major determinants for the discovery of blood groups that are of major importance in blood group serology, paternity dispute and in transfusion medicine. Not only that ,the membrane proteins carry the various blood group antigens, transporting ions, endothelial cells as signaling receptors and adhesive properties. This makes the red blood cells possible not to experience protein synthesis and for that no viral attack on them. The red blood cell abnormalities are being regulated by three constitutive characteristics namely, the geometry of the cell that is the cell surface to volume ratio, cytoplasm viscosity powered by intracellular haemoglobin concentration and membrane deformability. This review highlights on the importance of the red blood cell in our diagnosis and also its importance in study of red blood cell morphology to assist in the classification of numerous disease condition which can be treated with mere blood film microscopy.
Keywords: Red blood cells; Haemoglobins; Membrane proteins; Oxygen; Erythropoiesis
