Birds' efficient red blood cells convert metabolic 'waste' into fuel for rapid recovery
New research finds that birds can use lactate, often thought of as a metabolic waste product, as a cellular fuel that aids in rapid recovery from a harmful state that impairs oxygen delivery. Hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen to our tissues, naturally converts to methemoglobin, which limit...
Image: Phys.org
New research finds that birds can use lactate, often thought of as a metabolic waste product, as a cellular fuel that aids in rapid recovery from a harmful state that impairs oxygen delivery. Hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen to our tissues, naturally converts to methemoglobin, which limits the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.
Originally published at Phys.org
