Red blood cells move completely throughout the body in approximately 20 seconds. Technically known as erythrocytes, red blood cells’ primary function is to deliver oxygen from the lungs to body tissues by circulating blood. Approximately 45% of the blood is comprised of red blood cells, and the body’s bone marrow produces around 2.4 million new red blood cells every second. In times of stress, the body is capable of producing over 100 million new red blood cells per second. Red blood cells flow through the body for approximately 120 days before being broken down and removed by white blood cells. One ounce of blood will typically contain around 150 billion red blood cells.
More about blood:
- White blood cells are responsible for fighting infection, and make up less than 1% of the blood; however, they can last for years.
- While human blood is red, some animals have different colored blood. For example, leeches have green blood and crabs’ blood is blue.
- Approximately 7% of the weight of the human body is made up of blood.
By Allison Boelcke
, Former Writer
Allison Boelcke, a digital marketing manager and freelance writer, helps businesses create compelling content to connect with their target markets and drive results. With a degree in English, she combines her writing skills with marketing expertise to craft engaging content that gets noticed and leads to website traffic and conversions. Her ability to understand and connect with target audiences makes her a valuable asset to any content creation team.