Question
How are red blood cells able to move through narrow vessels to carry oxygen throughout a multicellular organism A they are flexible because they lack a plasma membrane B they are lon tog and thin with a tail C they are small because their organelles are smaller than those of other cells D they are small because they lack a nucleus
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Red blood cells (RBCs) are able to move through narrow vessels and effectively carry oxygen throughout a multicellular organism primarily due to their unique structure. Among the options provided, the most accurate answer is:
**D) they are small because they lack a nucleus.**
Red blood cells in mammals lose their nucleus during maturation, which allows them to assume a biconcave, disc-like shape. This shape increases their surface area for oxygen absorption and enables them to deform easily, allowing them to squeeze through narrow capillaries. Although option A mentions flexibility, red blood cells do have a plasma membrane, but their lack of a nucleus is crucial for their overall size reduction and biconcave shape, facilitating their movement through narrow vessels.
**D) they are small because they lack a nucleus.**
Red blood cells in mammals lose their nucleus during maturation, which allows them to assume a biconcave, disc-like shape. This shape increases their surface area for oxygen absorption and enables them to deform easily, allowing them to squeeze through narrow capillaries. Although option A mentions flexibility, red blood cells do have a plasma membrane, but their lack of a nucleus is crucial for their overall size reduction and biconcave shape, facilitating their movement through narrow vessels.