PATHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The shape of the human red blood cell is known to be a biconcave disk. It is evident from a variety of theoretical work that known physical properties of the membrane, such as its bending energy and elasticity, can explain the red-blood-cell biconcave shape as well as other shapes that red blood cells assume.

Detailed explanation-2: -This biconcave shape allows the cells to flow smoothly through the narrowest blood vessels. Gas exchange with tissues occurs in capillaries, tiny blood vessels that are only as wide as one cell. Many RBCs are wider than capillaries, but their shape provides the needed flexibility to squeeze through.

Detailed explanation-3: -All healthy mammalian RBCs are disc-shaped (discocyte) when not subjected to external stress.