Lets say you move from Bostonat sea level to Kathmandu Nepal

Let’s say you move from Boston(at sea level) to Kathmandu, Nepal (elevation 4600 ft).

A. Explain how the body signals the marrow to produce more red blood cells.

B. How would your body know when it had enough red blood cells.

C. What do you think would happen to the workload on the heart after all those new cells were made? Why?

Solution

A)There is a hormone called Erythropoietin (EPO) that promotes the formation of RBCs by the bone marrow. It is produced by the kidney. So it is these kidney cells which produce erythropoietin, and are sensitive to very low oxygen levels in the blood that travels through the kidney. Such conditions arises when one travels to high altitude. Then these cells produce and release erythropoietin which promotes production of RBCs then.