The function of an erythrocyte, also known as a red blood cell, is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and remove carbon dioxide, a waste product, from the tissues and transport it back to the lungs to be exhaled. This is accomplished through the presence of hemoglobin, a protein in erythrocytes that binds to oxygen in the lungs and releases it in the tissues. Erythrocytes also play a role in maintaining the acid-base balance of the body.
