Death is a fate we all share When we were in Secondary Schools, we were taught about Living things and their characteristics. We were surprised to discover that even plants were regarded as living things by scientists. Many of us found it hard to accept until the teachers gave us the bases used in classifying things either living or non-living .

The mnemonic is Mr. Nigercad :

M -- Movement
R -- Respiration
N -- Nutrition
I -- Irritability
G -- Growth
E -- Excretion
R -- Reproduction
C-- Competition
A -- Adaptation
D -- Death

From these criteria, I learnt that all living things must die. That is the perfection of life and living. I learnt you are not a complete living thing until you die.

However, before the death which causes the extinction of a being, the cells that makes us up die from day to day.
About three hundred million cells of our human body die every minute. This includes the cells that makes up our blood.
This is a fascinating death. Death of the blood cells is called Hemolysis.

What is Hemolysis?

Heamolisis of RBCs
Hemolysis is defined as the rupturing of blood cells, particularly erythrocytes (Red Blood Cells). It is used to describe the death of the blood. Hemolysis is a norm in the human body and also in animals and it occurs every 120 days (in case of the red blood cells). Other cells of the blood also have varying life span before they are hemolysed.

Blood Cell	Lifespan
Red Blood Cells	100 - 120 days
White Blood Cells	3 - 4 days
Platelets	8 - 9 days

On the other hand, hemolysis occur in abnormal conditions. Hemolysis in normal condition is due old age.
Hemolysis in abnormal conditions causes adverse effect on the physiological homeostasis of the body. In normal hemolysis, RBCs rupture in thin capillaries of the spleen and liver, this is because the cell membrane of the senile RBC becomes fragile and in the event of it squeezing through, it breaks because of its lack of ability to withstand the stress.
This happens after 120 days of the RBC's life and only 10% of the total RBCs is hemolysed. There is no adverse effect on the body.

However in abnormal conditions, excess RBC are destroyed causing imbalance in the body system. The body lacks:

• Enough RBC to transport Oxygen
• Heamoglobin which is the major constituent of the RBC is released into blood. In abnormal heamolysis, heamoglobin released in excess into causes Jaundice and dehydration.
• Anemia
• This could cause one going into coma.

Causes of Abnormal Hemolysis in the Body

• Hemolysins
• Abnormal Structuring of the Red Blood Cell
• Diseases
• Mechanical Factors

Hemolysins

They are substances that substances that causes hemolysis. They are regarded as hemolytic agents which can be lipid or protein structurally. They destroy red blood cells by hydrolysing the phospholipid and forming pores in the bilipid layer of the red blood cell membrane.
Hemolysis or hemolytic agents are of three type. This classification is based on their source/ origin:

• Hemolysins of Bacterial origin

• Hemolysins of Animal Origin

• Hemolysins of Chemical Origin

• Hemolysins of bacterial origin are substances or more accurately,they are toxins resulting from bacterial activities in the body. These toxins react with the biochemical makeup of the red blood cell and destroy them in the process. Examples of bacterial which produce hemolysins are Streptoccocus Species bacterials such as Staphiloccocus Auerus (in case of staphylloccocus, STDs), Buccillus Cereus and Seratia Species etc.

• Hemolysins of Animal Origin are substances of biological origin. They result from poisonous animals such as some species of snake, scorpions etc. These animals produce hemolysins and could tranfer them into the human blood. Examples are Cobra and Viper snakes which produces phospholipase A2.

BIOCHEMISTRY OF PHOSPHOLIPASE

This is a Phospholipid

This is a cell membrane of a cell made up of phospholipid molecules
Phospholipases are chemical enzymes that aid metabolism of phospholipids. Phospholipids are part of the major components forming the structure of the cell membrane and they are made up of glycerol esterified to two fatty acid and a phosphate group. The Phospholipase act by hydrolyzing this compound thereby causing degradation and untimely death in case of red blood cell.

Location of Phospholipase A2 Action

• Hemolysins of Chemical Origin and Chemical Substances. Examples include Alcohol, Ether, Benzene, Chloroform, Acids, Bases, Alkali, Bile Salts and Saponin. These substances cause death of the red blood cells.

Abnormal Red blood Cell

Picture shows abnormal shape of red blood cell in case of sickle cell anemia
Hemolysis can be as a result of abnormal red blood cell shape. The normal shape of a red blood cell is bi-concave. and is essential in its ability to pass through thin capillaries. But in the case of heredity disorders such as sickle cell anemia and thassalemia, red blood cell attain abnormal shapes like oval, sickle, elliptical, round etc. This makes it difficult for the red blood cells to pass through thin capillaries. In the process of passing through thin capillaries, they break causing hemolysis.

Some diseases such as Autoimmune diseases, renal failure, infections etc causes hemolysis. In Autoimmune diseases, the body defense mechanism fight against the body systems especially the red blood cell.

Mechanical Factors

These include physical stress, anatomical stress, severe exercise. These activities can induce untimely death of red blood cell.

However, as the blood dies due to natural and other non-natural causes, the body is able to quickly replace the dead blood cells by the process known as hematopoiesis. It is the production of red blood cells in the bone of the body.
In many cases, depending on the cause and the severity of blood hemolysis, a person might need to be transfused.

Further Reading:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_cell
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemolysis
• https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3694
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemolysin
  

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