~ Our blood cells ~
Hi friends! Wali is back to talk about the gory stuff – blood! Did you know that we iguanas have red blood just like you? Our blood vessels are filled with red blood cells. They’re like tiny donuts that move around inside of us, carrying oxygen all over the body on their fantastic journeys.
Each red blood cell is filled with this protein, haemoglobin, which is like a tiny basket. Millions of molecules of haemoglobin are packed into each cell. Oxygen in the lungs catches a ride in these haemoglobin baskets to deliver to cells that need it. Like breathing and heartbeats, these little donuts help keep us alive. They make sure every part of our body gets enough oxygen!
Can you guess what colour red blood cells are? You’re right, they’re red! That was too easy, wasn’t it? Haemoglobin baskets have iron in them and that’s what makes them red. Iron is really important to you humans and us lizards, because nothing else is as good at holding oxygen.
Some animals like squid in the sea have copper instead of iron, but copper doesn’t work as well. If you had copper in your blood, you would probably look green or maybe even blue just like like Avatar! Weird huh? Anyways, iron is the best: you can tell because even T. rex had red blood.
Red blood cells are made in the marrow which is deep inside your bones. When you are young, you have lots of bone marrow – it’s even in your ribs. Red blood cells live for about three months before they are recycled by your spleen to make new red blood cells.
The spleen lives under your heart on the left side: It is just like a sponge. Isn’t the body cool? All that precious protein and iron are reused – recycled, with no waste – iron is precious. Old haemoglobin is used to make this stuff called bile, which helps with your digestion and makes your poo brown! Yukky!
Sometimes, like after an accident or an operation, you lose blood. You humans are lucky because doctors can give you more blood! That’s called a transfusion. Do you know anyone that gives blood? It is like giving away a great present to a stranger. Millions of red cells! Too cool!
*This online article was updated from its printed form for a correction: changing the example of an animal with copper-based blood from jellyfish to squid. Sorry about that!
Authors: The AUC Sickle Cell support group, Wali and Dr. Colin Michie.
