Question

When comparing animal and human red blood cells under the microscope, which characteristic is most like that of animal blood?

a) nuclei
b) stains red
c) blue nuclei​

Answer 1

Both human and animal red blood cells stain red under a microscope due to hemoglobin, despite the presence of nuclei in non-mammalian animal red blood cells. Mammalian RBCs, including human RBCs, do not have nuclei at maturity.

Step-by-step explanation:

When comparing animal and human red blood cells (RBCs) under the microscope, the characteristic most similar to that of human red blood cells is that they both stain red due to the presence of hemoglobin. Mammalian red blood cells, including human red blood cells, lack nuclei at maturity. In contrast, red blood cells in other vertebrates, such as birds and reptiles, usually contain nuclei. The presence of a nucleus in red blood cells is not a shared characteristic between humans and other animals; instead, it is the red coloration after staining that is consistent due to hemoglobin, which is present in both animal RBCs and human RBCs for the primary purpose of oxygen distribution throughout the body.

While white blood cells have nuclei and are involved in the immune response, they lack hemoglobin and do not share the red staining characteristic of red blood cells under a microscope. Therefore, the correct characteristic shared by human and animal red blood cells is the red staining, not the blue or presence of nuclei.