Did you know?

That red blood cells come in different shapes and sizes?

The normal shape is biconcave, flattened ovate and depressed in the centre. It is depressed in the centre because red blood cells have no nucleus, which means that they only survive for about three months, after which they go to the spleen to be destroyed. The shape of the red blood cell is cool because it allows the red blood cell to fold and manouevre in the tiny capillaries.

If your red blood cells are not donut-shaped, you may run into problems. For example, your red blood cells may be spherical-shaped instead. This means that the red blood cells is easily broken up as it moves around the body, and this may lead to an enlarged spleen. This condition is known as spherocytosis.

Sickle-shaped blood cells, because it cannot fold easily like normal-shaped blood cells, get stuck in small places easily, causing a loss of blood flow to the affected part. They can get stuck in your fingers, your toes, your penis, your organs, or anywhere there are small capillaries, causing pain and damage.