Question

Where do red blood cells come from and how are they different from other body cells?

Answer 1

Red Blood Cells (Erythrocytes) are produced in the bone marrow. Unlike most other cells, they are anucleate and contain haemoglobin.

Explanation:

Erythrocytes (red blood cells) are produced exclusively in the bone marrow of the human adult. (In the human embryo they are first produced in the yolk sac and later in the liver.)

Unlike other cells of the body, erythrocytes are anucleate and bi-concave (doughnut-shaped, but without a central hole).

They contain a special chemical, haemoglobin, which binds with oxygen in the lungs and transports it to all parts of the body for metabolic purposes. It is the haemoglobin in erythrocytes that gives the cells, and hence all blood, its characteristic red colour.