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  4. Which one of the following human organs is often called the 'graveyard' of RBCs?

Q. Which one of the following human organs is often called the 'graveyard' of RBCs?

 1875  183 AIPMTAIPMT 2012Body Fluids and Circulation Report Error

Solution:

Spleen is a vertebrate organ, lying behind the stomach, that is basically a collection of lymphoid tissue. Its functions include producing lymphocytes and destroying foreign particles. It acts as a reservoir for RBCs and can regulate the number in circulation. It is also the site for the breakdown of worn out RBCs and thus is known as graveyard of RBCs. The life of an RBC is about 120 days. Liver cells degrade the haemoglobin of worn out RBCs into bile pigments (bilirubin and biliverdin).