red blood cell
noun
variants
or less commonly red blood corpuscle
or red cell
or red corpuscle
: any of the hemoglobin-containing cells that carry oxygen to the tissues and in mammals are typically biconcave disks which lack a nucleus and cellular organelles and are formed from nucleated cells of the red bone marrow
Note: The number of red blood cells ranges from four to six million in each cubic millimeter of normal human blood. The red color of blood is due to the presence of hemoglobin within the red blood cells.
called also erythrocyte
compare white blood cellExamples of red blood cell in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But a blood smear revealed the Babesia parasite in 1 percent of her red blood cells — more than 200 billion organisms.
—
Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Studies have suggested that the odorless gas can protect vital organs from altitude sickness, while boosting the body’s production of erythropoietin, or EPO, the hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 31 Mar. 2025
Each of its pixels measures 7,500 nanometers wide – about the size of a human red blood cell – and packs a density of around 3,386 PPI.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 30 Mar. 2025
This is a rare medical condition that reduces the ability of red blood cells to deliver oxygen throughout the body.
—Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for red blood cell
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Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Studies have suggested that the odorless gas can protect vital organs from altitude sickness, while boosting the body’s production of erythropoietin, or EPO, the hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 31 Mar. 2025
Each of its pixels measures 7,500 nanometers wide – about the size of a human red blood cell – and packs a density of around 3,386 PPI.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 30 Mar. 2025
This is a rare medical condition that reduces the ability of red blood cells to deliver oxygen throughout the body.
—Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for red blood cell
Cite this Entry
“Red blood cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20blood%20cell. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
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