Erythrocyte Breakdown

Erythrocyte Breakdown

First, we’ve got an erythrocyte that is broken. It enters the liverA large organ that produces bile, detoxifies blood, and stores nutrients. and meets a macrophage, which is a cell meant to eat and break down other cellsThe basic structural and functional units of life.. The macrophage eats the erythrocyte, traps it into a vesicle, and pours digestive enzymesProteins that speed up chemical reactions in the body. into this vesicle, destroying the erythrocyte.  In the spleen, worn out erythrocytes(RBCs): Red blood cells responsible for oxygen transport. undergo hemolysisThe rupture of red blood cells, releasing hemoglobin into the blood.. Some proteinsLarge molecules made of amino acids with various functions in the body. of the immune system called the MAC, or membrane attack complex, assist in this process.  Either way, the contents of the erythrocyte, which is basically just hemoglobinThe oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells that gives blood its red color., are released from the cell. 

Erythrocyte Recycling

Upon first opening up an erythrocyte, hemoglobin and amino acids start pouring out.  These amino acids are immediately packaged into a vesicle. They are then transported to the bone marrow. There, they are used to build more erythrocytes.  Hemoglobin breaks down into its two amino acidThe building blocks of proteins, consisting of an amino group, carboxyl group, and side chain. chains and hemeThe iron-containing portion of hemoglobin that binds oxygen. pigment.  Again, the amino acidA substance that releases hydrogen ions (H⁺) in solution. chains are packaged for transportation to the bone marrow to be used in erythropoiesisThe process of red blood cell production..  The heme pigment gets broken down into iron and bilirubinA yellow pigment produced from the breakdown of hemoglobin, excess amounts cause jaundice.. The bilirubin leaves the liver via the bileA digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder; it helps emulsify fats for di duct, entering the small intestine. Most bilirubin gets reabsorbed into your blood vessels. It behaves much like a nutrient. As you now expect, it is transported to the bone marrow. There, it will be used again to make erythrocytes. Any bilirubin not reabsorbed is excreted via the colon.

The iron gets picked up by transferrinA blood plasma protein that transports iron., a globular transporter, and is recycled into the bloodstream to make more erythrocytes.  We can measure the amount of transferrin in your blood that is NOT occupied by iron atomsThe smallest units of matter that retain the properties of an element..  You want all your transferrin to be occupied.  Always.  If some of it isn’t occupied, you are iron deficient.  Your liver makes only the perfectly correct amount of transferrin, so none of it EVER should be unoccupied.  This molecule here is called ferritin A protein that stores iron in the liver and other tissues. is more for iron storage.  We can measure your ferritin levels. If they are low, then you are not storing as much iron as you need.

Premature Breakdown

Hemolysis doesn’t always happen in the liver or spleen. You could possibly get the breakdown products of red blood cells in your urineThe liquid waste excreted by the kidneys.. This is called hemoglobinuria. That’s not terrible. There is something called hemolytic anemiaAnemia caused by the destruction of red blood cells before their normal lifespan ends., which is an autoimmune issue that produces hemoglobinuria. If you have full red blood cells in your urine, that’s hematuria. You should not have that. Your kidney is like a filter. If you’re getting full red blood cells, your filter’s broken, like holes poked in your filter.