Chapter 2, Problem 1RT

What is oxyhemoglobin? Where does it form?

Which of the following statements about red blood cells is false? a. They live about 120 days before being replaced. b. They lack a nucleus and other organelles when they are mature. c. They are replaced when the hormone EPO stimulates stem cells in bone marrow. d. They are replaced as part of a negative feedback loop in which kidney cells monitor blood oxygen levels e. All the above statements are true except b, because all cells require a nucleus in order to function properly.

A patient has thalassemia, a genetic disorder characterized by abnormal synthesis of globin proteins and excessive destruction of erythrocytes. This patient is jaundiced and is found to have an excessive level of bilirubin in his blood. Explain the connection.