Approximately how long do normal human red blood cells survive in the peripheral bloodstream before they are removed (primarily by the spleen) for recycling?
About 20 days
About 60 days
About 120 days
About 365 days
Mature erythrocytes lack nuclei and most organelles, so they cannot repair cellular damage. As they age, membrane flexibility and enzyme activity decline, and surface changes trigger splenic macrophages to phagocytose them. This senescence process occurs after about 120 days in circulation, making that the best estimate of the normal red-cell lifespan. Significantly shorter values (e.g., 20 or 60 days) would lead to chronic anemia, while much longer values (e.g., a full year) are incompatible with known erythrocyte turnover rates.
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