The Holocene /ËhÉlÉµsiËn/ is the geological epoch that began after the Pleistocene at approximately 11,700 years BP and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words á½Î»Î¿Ï (holos, whole or entire) and ÎºÎ±Î¹Î½ÏÏ (kainos, new), meaning entirely recent. It has been identified with the current warm period, known as MIS 1, and can be considered an interglacial in the current ice age based on that evidence.
Removal of Red Blood Cells. One of the functions of the spleen is to remove any old red blood cells, according to Kim Barrett, professor of medicine at the University of California at San Diego, writing in âGanongâs Review of Medical Physiology.â The normal lifespan of a red blood cell is 120 days.
The spleen (from Greek ÏÏÎ»Î®Î½ âsplá¸n) is an organ found in virtually all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The spleen plays important roles in regard to red blood cells (also referred to as erythrocytes) and the immune system. It removes old red blood cells and holds a reserve of blood, which can be valuable in case of hemorrhagic shock, and also recycles iron.