In which organ is an erythrocyte broken down?

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Multiple Choice

In which organ is an erythrocyte broken down?

The main idea is that aging red blood cells are removed primarily by the spleen. Its red pulp contains macrophages that engulf and digest old erythrocytes as they become less flexible and unfriendly to circulation. During this process, the hemoglobin is broken down: globin is recycled into amino acids, iron is salvaged and transported away, and the heme portion is converted first to biliverdin and then to bilirubin for transport to the liver to be processed and excreted. While the liver is important for conjugating and excreting bilirubin, the actual destruction of most erythrocytes occurs predominantly in the spleen. The kidneys and lymph nodes aren’t the sites where erythrocyte destruction occurs.

The main idea is that aging red blood cells are removed primarily by the spleen. Its red pulp contains macrophages that engulf and digest old erythrocytes as they become less flexible and unfriendly to circulation. During this process, the hemoglobin is broken down: globin is recycled into amino acids, iron is salvaged and transported away, and the heme portion is converted first to biliverdin and then to bilirubin for transport to the liver to be processed and excreted. While the liver is important for conjugating and excreting bilirubin, the actual destruction of most erythrocytes occurs predominantly in the spleen. The kidneys and lymph nodes aren’t the sites where erythrocyte destruction occurs.

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