Erythrophagocytosis is the specific process by which macrophages, primarily in the spleen and liver, engulf and destroy old, damaged, or antibody-coated red blood cells. This is the main mechanism of extravascular hemolysis. Once inside the macrophage, the red cell is broken down. Its hemoglobin is split into heme and globin. The globin chains are broken down into amino acids. The heme ring is opened by the enzyme heme oxygenase, releasing iron and converting the rest into biliverdin, which is then reduced to unconjugated (indirect) bilirubin. The released iron is either stored in the macrophage as ferritin/hemosiderin or released back into the bloodstream, bound to transferrin, to be used for new hemoglobin synthesis in the bone marrow. This efficient recycling system conserves iron, a precious resource for the body.

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Zambia

• Joseph Soko – 101 pts

• Visual Pathway Lesions
• Positive and Negative Symptoms
• Hallucinations and Delusions
• Antipsychotic Medications
• Emergency: Environmental Emergencies