Final answer:
The FALSE statement about red blood cells is that they help to fight infection. It is white blood cells that are part of the body's immune system, while red blood cells carry oxygen.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement about red blood cells (RBCs) that is FALSE is: They help to fight infection. Red blood cells are primarily responsible for carrying oxygen to different parts of the body, thanks to the iron-containing protein called hemoglobin they carry.
Hemoglobin binds with oxygen and facilitates its transport throughout the body. In contrast, it is the white blood cells that are involved in the body's immune response, not red blood cells. White blood cells protect the body against foreign bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens by identifying and targeting them for destruction.
Red blood cells do not contain nuclei at maturity and do not play a role in fighting infections, which is the responsibility of white blood cells. However, red blood cells do contain iron, carry oxygen, and give color to the blood due to the iron in hemoglobin which binds oxygen.