Erythrocytes, cell of not?

[victor]

Most of the cells is categoried because they do have the same important organel which is very important to replicates their own chromosomes. This organel is called nucleus. Anyway, erythrocytes' shape is biconcave and it doesn't have any nucleus. Is it still categoried as cells? or some kinda proteins?

[Poison]

RBC lose their nucleus when they become mature. They have nucleus when they are produced. So, yes, they are cells.

[MrMistery]

Onthogeny repeats philogeny. Red blood cells at every other vertebrate than mamals has a nucleus when they are mature. The red blood cell of o mamal, as poison said, loses it's nucleus when it is mature, in order to transport a greater amount of oxygen. SO, YES, they are cells

[victor]

Wow..that sounds great...Maybe that makes the differences between erythrocytes and lymphocytes..thanks

[Dr.Stein]

Yes, lymphocyte is leucocyte and erythrocyte is erythrocyte

[victor]

No, I mean that mature RBC doesn't have Nucleus but mature WBC have it..

[chemistry_freako]

Oo just did something related to this during one of today's lecture
RBCs (erythrocytes) lack mitochondria, nucleus, and ribosomes;
advantages of biconcave shape include increased surface area for carrying oxygen in the bloodstream, can form stacks, and can bend and flex.

In the beginning (hemopoiesis - erythropoiesis), a hemopoetic stem cell differentiates into a proerythroblast, and steps which follow are those in which the RBCs still have a nucleus. When it becomes a reticulocyte, it loses its nucleus, and becomes what it looks like - biconcave disks without nucleus.

White blood cells also include cells like neutrophils, eosinophils, basohpils, monocytes as well as lymphocytes. To understand why mature WBCs have a nucleus, but not so for mature RBCs, we can look at their functions - compare RBCs which carry oxygen in our bloodstream, with the function of lymphocytes which are generally to do with cell, and antibody related immunity.

[James]

So when the first organism to have red blood cells came into existance, did the RBCs have a permanent nucleus, which has since evolved to lose this for more O2 transport?

[chemistry_freako]

First organisms to have red blood cells? =\

[Dr.Stein]

No, I mean that mature RBC doesn't have Nucleus but mature WBC have it..

Only mammals' erythrocytes that lack of nucleus and organelles. Other vertebrates have erythocytes with nucleus.

[victor]

Actually our RBC's nucleus is pressured down because of Hb macromolecule chain...in order to gain as much Hb, they need to compress down the nucleus..

[Dr.Stein]

Yes and because they do not need the nucleus anymore. They just need a pocket to save oxygene, so... get out nucleus and welcome oxygene!