Preface

Erythrocytes or red blood cells (RBCs) make up about 84% of total cells in the human body and approximately 2.4 million RBCs are produced per second in an adult human. Each erythrocyte contains 270 million haemoglobin molecules responsible for carrying oxygen and giving red colour to these cells.

There are no nuclei, mitochondria, or any other organelles in mature RBCs. As such, they do not contain DNA and are not able to produce any RNA or protein, and thus cannot be attacked by viruses.

Although RBCs are considered bags for carrying haemoglobin for gas exchange, their cell membrane contains a number of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. This makes them capable of acting as peripheral biomarkers for many pathological conditions.

Early identification of key changes in erythrocytes in response to inflammatory or infectious diseases saves millions of lives worldwide.
