What Do Red Blood Cells Do?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
4. Hemoglobin
Red blood cells are able to carry oxygen around the body because they contain a type of protein known as hemoglobin. Hemoglobin contains iron, which gives it its red color. Oxygen has a high affinity to iron, basically meaning that oxygen will attach itself to the iron. Iron is plentiful in a healthy diet so getting enough is not a problem for most people.
Our red blood cells pick up oxygen from the lining of our lungs every time we breathe in, providing us with the constant supply of oxygen that we need. If we were unable to breathe for some reason, we would soon begin to feel dizzy as the body starts to divert oxygen to where it is needed most.
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