Final answer:
The statement is true; RBCs use glycolysis to generate ATP anaerobically, meaning they do not use the oxygen they are transporting. This design optimizes their role in oxygen delivery to bodily tissues. Blocking glycolysis in these cells would prevent them from functioning correctly, leading to severe consequences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that RBCs are efficient oxygen transporters because they generate ATP by anaerobic mechanisms and do not consume any of the oxygen they carry is true. Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, have adapted to their role in oxygen transport by using glycolysis as their means of ATP production, a process that does not require oxygen. This ensures that all the oxygen they carry can be delivered to the body's tissues without being used up by the red blood cells themselves.
Erythrocytes are designed to maximize their oxygen-carrying capacity. They are biconcave disks, which increase their surface area, enhancing the efficiency of gas exchange. Furthermore, lacking most organelles, including mitochondria, means there's more space for hemoglobin and no consumption of oxygen for metabolic respiration within the red blood cells.
If glycolysis were to be blocked in red blood cells, it would be catastrophic, as they rely solely on this anaerobic pathway to generate the ATP necessary for their function, such as maintaining the shape and flexibility needed for the rigorous journey through the circulatory system.