What are erythrocytes?
“Erythrocytes” is the medical term for red blood cells (red blood cells). They contain the red blood pigment hemoglobin, have a disc-shaped appearance and – unlike other body cells – no longer have a nucleus. Therefore, erythrocytes can no longer divide and perish after about 120 days. They are then broken down in the spleen and liver.
The bone marrow continuously produces new erythrocytes, about three million per second. In a microliter of blood, there are about 4.8 to 5.9 million red blood cells in a healthy man, and about 4.3 to 5.2 million in a woman. If all the erythrocytes in the body were placed next to each other, this would correspond to the size of half a soccer field.
Red blood cells: Task and function
Red blood cells have a vital function: they absorb oxygen from the air we breathe in the lungs and transport it – bound to the hemoglobin they contain – to every corner of the body. The body’s cells absorb the oxygen and use it to produce energy. This produces carbon dioxide, which is then transported by the erythrocytes to the lungs, where it is released into the breathing air and exhaled.
When do you determine the number of erythrocytes?
- Suspicion of a blood disease (anemia, blood cancer = leukemia, etc.)
- Suspicion of internal bleeding
- severe external bleeding
- Kidney disease
- Suspicion of vitamin deficiency
- oxygen deficiency
Erythrocyte normal 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, this is called anemia (“anemia”). Anemia can occur as a side effect of various diseases, but it can also be caused by a reduced production of red blood cells or by their increased loss (hemorrhage):
Low erythrocyte count due to reduced blood formation.
- Iron deficiency
- Deficiency of certain vitamins (vitamin B12, folic acid)
- Functional impairment of the bone marrow (e.g. in blood cancer)
Low erythrocyte count due to increased blood loss
- in case of internal bleeding
- @ in external bleeding
- @ in case of heavy menstrual bleeding
- after childbirth
- after operations
- in case of “hemolytic anemia” (anemia due to increased degradation or decay of red blood cells, e.g. due to artificial heart valves or malaria)
Many pregnant women and children have low erythrocyte levels, but this does not necessarily mean that they are ill.
Low erythrocyte count due to other diseases
- Infections
- cancer
- rheumatic diseases
When are there too many erythrocytes in the blood?
In some diseases, too many erythrocytes are formed. This is called polyglobulia. 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 polyglobulia.
You can read more about this topic in the article Polyglobulia.
What to do if the number of erythrocytes in the blood changes?
The answer to this question depends on the cause and extent of the deviating erythrocyte concentration in the blood.
If, for example, the erythrocyte count is reduced due to iron deficiency or folic acid deficiency, the administration of iron or folic acid can help. In severe cases, however, a blood transfusion may be necessary. If the number of red blood cells is too high (polyglobulia), the attending physician can, for example, perform “bloodletting”.
Apart from this, existing underlying diseases that are responsible for the deviating amount of erythrocytes must be treated appropriately.
