Question

What is erythropoietin? What is its function?

Answer 1

Erythropoietin is produced in the kidney as well as the liver and released mainly by the kidney. It is very necessary for our body as a deficiency of erythropoietin may cause anemia.

Complete answer:
Erythropoietin is a hormone secreted by the cells of the kidney.
The function of this hormone is the production of red blood cells. They stimulate the cells of the bone marrow to start the process which is known as erythropoiesis. It also regulates the differentiation of the red blood cells to further initiate the formation of hemoglobin. They also help to protect the RBCs once they are created.

Additional Information: Erythropoietin is a very important hormone for our blood and a slight variation in the level of this can mess the balance of blood and cause severe problems in our body. Let us know some more about this hormone:
-Erythropoietin is also known as hematopoietin or hemopoietin is a glycoprotein cytokine. It is secreted by the kidney in response to cellular hypoxia.
-It is produced by interstitial fibroblasts in the kidney and also in perisinusoidal cells in the liver.
-In severe anemia, the EPO level goes high and causes harmful effects in the body.
-Sometimes damage or disease in the kidney may cause a deficiency of EPO. As a result, the bone marrow makes lesser red blood cells and causes anemia.

Note: Erythropoietin is a vital hormone. It keeps the balance of blood and provides all the body cells a fresh supply of blood and oxygen. Without this, the body may experience hypoxia, the condition of lack of oxygen. An erythropoietin test is done to measure the level of this hormone in the blood.