What does the body do with the extra red blood cells it doesn't need?
There are 2.4 bilIion red blood cells in a pintt. the body makes about 4 to 5 billion new red blood cells in an hour, and approx. 1 to 2 billion red blood cells die. so if a person is not losing 1.3 pints of blood per hour continously what is the body doing with that extra pints of blood it keeps making each hour. does the bone marrow stop making blood cells or do the red blood cells get destroyed?
10 Answers to "What does the body do with the extra red blood cells it doesn't need?"
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The 'dead' cells are filtered by your liver and converted into bilirubin which is then process out in your poop/pee. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilirubin
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The cells eventually die and are absorbed into the body as the bone morrow found in the pelvic bone makes the new ones. Recycle!
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Have you ever taken a general biology, psychology, or neurobiology course? Your brain is always working hard and will always need the energy and oxygen it derives from erythrocytes (red blood cells). If a specific area in the brain does not "need" the excess, it will redirect the blood flow to an area of the brain that does need the supply of oxygen. Red blood cells break down in the liver anytime between 5-200 days of circulation in the body.
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Wait, I just realized I answered your question thinking that you'd wrote "What does the BRAIN do with the extra red blood cells it doesn't need?" Oh well...
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Ever wonder why poop is brown??? Now you know.
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donate your blood every 4 months..It gets rid of those old cells, jumpstarts you marrow to make new, healthier one
and, you get to help so so many people.Like (1)
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The body has a kind of self limiting system which allows excess minerals such as iron to be excreted, rather than retained for the making of red blood cells. If you have enough then only the number needed to replace dying ones is created. In fact there is a genetic disorder called Hemachromatosis where the excess iron is not excreted, but stored in the organs, where it can cause organ faulure from the age of about 50. So even if you have too much iron, it is still not turned into extra red blood cells. Just stored.
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I'm pretty sure your liver filters them out and your body reabsorbs them to make other cells and such.
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I believe they get destroyed but I'm not 100% sure on that.
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lol i guess its a redundancy thing then. i just wondered, 'why am i not exploding now from blood pressure' lol.
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Red blood cells last about 4 months.
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creates buggers
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Best Answer (Chosen by Voting):
Posted by CountSpatula 1 Nov 25th, 2012 at 8:59PM
Poop is brown for a reason.
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Reply by BlackToad Nov 25th, 2012 at 9:03PM
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Reply by coolTimesAhead Nov 25th, 2012 at 9:05PM
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