RED BLOOD CELL MATURATION

Erythropoiesis, or red blood cell maturation, takes place within erythroblast islands consisting of white blood cells called macrophages. These islands nourish the developing red blood cells as they mature.

The production of the red blood cell begins when EPO is transported by the blood to the bone marrow, where it binds to the stem cells. In the early stages of red blood cell development, the cells possess the “equipment” necessary for producing hemoglobin. Each cell has a nucleus, which holds the instructions for building the hemoglobin molecule; ribosomes, which have the manufacturing capacity to assemble the globin proteins; and mitochondria, which have the ability to synthesize the heme component.

This production capacity is short-lived, however. The maturing RBC spits out its nucleus and internal organelles, disabling the creation of the components of hemoglobin. After about seven days, the RBC is fully grown, and the mature erythrocyte, equipped with its vital cargo of hemoglobin molecules, is ready to enter the bloodstream. This critical process of blood cell production and delivery continues throughout a healthy person's lifetime.

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