Primary function is carrying oxygen
However RBC's don't use oxygen. They only deliver it to muscles
These cells even though carrying oxygen don't even have mitochondria to use it for cellular respiration
Why? Wtf
Why would a cell who's primary function is to transport oxygen to aerobic ally active tissues not be anaerobically active

It allows them to carry more oxygen by getting rid of all the organelles. more space for hemoglobin

Those lack a cell nucleus... those are just oxygen bags with 2 months life duration, nn to breath
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_blood_cell
ty was interesting

If they can just carry it, why make them do more?

This post was edited by bigbrd222 on Oct 15 2013 10:25am

They deliver oxygen to all tissues not just muscles
They don't have mitochondria, because its not really needed. There are two different respiration pathways --> Aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Aerobic respiration is oxygen dependent and you need a mitochondrion for that, through the transformations (Krebs cycle) in the end you get 38 ATP molecules. However, anaerobic respiration only involves the process of glycolysis and in the end you get only 2 molecules of ATP.

Since the cell has no organellas like golgi complex, nucleus and other (which would be a waste of energy) therefore it has limited lifespan (3-4 months). With absence of organellas and replication it doesn't need much energy thus glycolysis is a reasonable mechanism for it.

They aren't two different respiration cycles. One is just a precursor for another. Glycolysis --> Pyruvate and Pyruvate gets turned into acoa to be put into the TCA.
I guess they are kinda like drug dealers. Can't get high off your own supply.


I guess so, but think about if we were able to use the TCA cycle and allow for the movement of hemoglobin from the heart to the tissues

What would the energy be used for that could improve respiration? We would need a dedicated system imo for selective movement of hemoglobin. By just using the heart to pump blood, we can probably use less energy than what would be used/consumed by selective movement by the RBC. Hemoglobin does, iirc, have a method for releasing O2 in CO2 rich areas.

Also, by having the heart pump the blood, it allows other molecules/chemicals/etc to transport instead of them needing movement methods.

Lol