Answer:
Red blood cells are discocyte-shaped, which means they are disc-like, or biconcave. This shape is important for the cell's physiological function because it increases flexibility and the surface area-to-volume ratio, which allows for efficient gas exchange.
Explanation:
A cell placed in a hypotonic solution will swell and expand until it eventually bursts, a process called cytolysis. A solution is hypertonic to a cell if it has a higher concentration of solute than the cell does, and therefore a lower concentration of water.
Osmosis is the flow of solvent towards a highly concentrated solution through a semipermeable membrane. For example, if a red blood cell is placed in pure water, the water will enter the cell through the cell membrane and cause the cell to swell. Osmosis stops when the concentration inside and outside the cell equalizes.
Abnormal red blood cells can be caused by:
Sickle cells: Drepanocytes
Spheres or rounds: Spherocytes
Teardrops: Dacrocytes
