The red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are small flexible disc shaped cells crucial for keeping the organism alive. Their main function is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. It also transport carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs.
The red blood cells are among the smallest cells in the body, about 7.5 micrometers in diameter. Later we will discover why they are so tiny. Even though they are small, they are many, about 20-30 trillion at any given time. Each red blood cell is filled with about 270 million hemoglobin molecules which carries the oxygen.
Red blood cells lack nucleus and organelles
The red blood cells begin their life in the red bone marrow inside the long bones of the human skeleton. It takes about 7 days to form a new red blood cell. Every second 2.4 million new erythrocytes are produced. As the erythrocytes leave the bone marrow they lose their nucleus and cellular organs (organelles). These cellular structures are important for keeping the cell alive. So there must be a very good reason why they lose these important structures. The red blood cells are made for a purpose, to carry oxygen to all parts of the human body. The smallest blood vessels are so small that only one red blood cell can pass through at a time.
The red blood cell loses its nucleus and organelles to
- Carry as much oxygen as possible
- Become flexible enough to enter the smallest blood vessels
Thus the red blood cells have to empty itself in order to fulfill its mission in life.
Red blood cells lay down their lives to serve
Because the nucleus and the organelles have been removed from the cell, red blood cells are not per definition living cells. After 7 days of forming a new red blood cell it enters the blood circulation and loses its organelles, nucleus, its “life” to give life to the human body for the remaining of its existence, usually about 120 days.
Here we find deep life lessons about altruism and serving others. In another blog post we discovered how the heart teaches generosity and the life principle “Give and you will receive”. Red blood cells teach the same principle even more profoundly. Both the heart and what it shares with the rest of the body (blood) tell the same important life lessons of serving others.
While the heart thrives by giving, the red blood cells lay down their life to serve and give life (oxygen) to the body. Only by emptying itself can the red blood cells fulfill its function.
In a biblical worldview, the life and sacrifice of Jesus resembles what the heart and red blood cells do. Jesus lived to serve others and asked us to do the same. Serving others and serving God is the law of life according to the Bible. However, serving God and humans may sometimes require us to lay down our life. Jesus made several statements that hint to this fact:
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it
Jesus (Matt 16:25)
This may be understood in several ways. The context speaks about literal death. As it was for Jesus, so also with some of his believers. Some people literally lose their life because of their faith.
Other people lose their lives figuratively when serving Jesus. Following Christ may sometimes cause persecution, losing a job, friendship, or things that are highly valued in a secular society such as money, popularity and status.
When Jesus shed his blood for us on the cross, he showed among other things that serving others and providing life may require laying down our own life, physically – as with Jesus and the martyrs, or figuratively. Today we understand that the very blood that Jesus shed also teaches us the same life lessons.
Red blood cells need to be flexible and adaptable
The last lesson from the red blood cells that I want to point out is their flexibility and adaptability. To transport oxygen to the distant small capillaries red blood cells have to be flexible enough to go through the thinnest vessels.
In like manner, we also need to be flexible and adaptable in our efforts to serve other people. In order to relate, understand and come close to people with various challenges flexibility and adaptability is required.
