//fpnotebook.com/
Red Blood Cell
Aka: Red Blood Cell, Red Blood Cell Count, Erythrocyte Count, RBC Count, Erythropoiesis, Proerythroblast, Polychromatophilic erythroblast, Orthochromatic erythroblast, Reticulocyte
- See Also
- Erythrocyte Morphology
- Anemia
- Physiology: Erythropoiesis (mature red cell development)
- See Bone Marrow (Erythroblast)
- Images

- Stimulation of RBC production
- Chronic Hypoxia (e.g. COPD, living at high altitude) stimulates renal erythropoetin release
- Erythropoetin stimulates RBC production in marrow
- Development in Marrow
- Proerythroblast is RBC stem cell in marrow (0.5 days)
- Basophilic Erythroblast (0.8 days)
- Nucleus shrinks, cytoplasm darkens with ribosomes
- Polychromatophilic erythroblast (1.3 days)
- Cell produces Hemoglobin
- Stains with basic and eosin stains
- Orthochromatic erythroblast (2.0 days)
- Cell appears more Eosinophilic
- Reticulocyte: Transition to Circulation
- Orthochromatic erythroblast sheds nucleus
- Marrow Reticulocyte spends 1.7 days in marrow
- Blood Reticulocyte spends 1.3 days in circulation
- Red Blood Cells in Circulation
- Mature Red Blood Cell (120 day life-span)
- Findings: Normal Values (in 10^6/ul or 10^12/L) per age
- Age <1 month: 3.6 to 6.6
- Age 1-6 months: 2.7 to 5.4
- Age 0.5 - 6 years: 3.7 to 5.3
- Age 6-12 years: 4.0 to 5.2
- Female
- Age 12-18 years: 4.1 to 5.1
- Age >18 years: 3.8 to 5.2
- Male
- Age 12-18 years: 4.5 to 5.3
- Age >18 years: 4.4 to 5.9
- Findings: Increased Red Blood Cell Count
- Polycythemia Vera
- Tobacco Abuse
- Living at High altitude
- Renal Cell Carcinoma
- Cardiovascular disease
- Stress
- Dehydration
- Thalassemia Trait
- Findings: Decreased Red Blood Cell Count
- See Anemia
- Microcytic Anemia
- Iron Deficiency Anemia (most common)
- Thalassemia
- Lead Poisoning
- Anemia of Chronic Disease
- Sideroblastic Anemia
- Macrocytic Anemia
- Vitamin B12 Deficiency (Pernicious Anemia, most common)
- Atrophic Gastritis (loss of parietal cell produced Intrinsic Factor)
- Nitrous Oxide Abuse
- Folate Deficiency (often Alcohol related)
- See Medications Affecting Folate Metabolism
- Other causes (e.g. Myelodysplastic Syndrome)
- Hemoglobinopathy
- Sickle Cell Anemia
- Thalassemia
- Red Blood Cell Membrane defects
- Hereditary Spherocytosis
- Hereditary elliptocytosis
- Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria
- Hemolytic Anemia
- See Hemolytic Anemia Causes
- See Drug-Induced Hemolytic Anemia
- See Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
- See Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia
- Infection (e.g. Epstein Barr Virus, Cytomegalovirus, Mycoplasma pneumonia)
- G6PD Deficiency
- Other Causes
- Acute Hemorrhage
- Marrow failure (Aplastic Anemia)
- Chronic Renal Failure (erythropoetin loss)