When the GATA-1 gene is on the cell will produce hemoglobin (an oxygen carrying protein).
Checkered pattern
On your Gene Expression Chart, put three checkmarks in the ON column for the GATA-1 gene.
Put 3 rubberbands around your cell. Then flatten your cell a little (so it resembles a donut without the center removed).
Your cell is now a red blood cell (erythrocyte). Look at the chart below to follow your path of development.
Red blood cells (RBCs), also called erythrocytes, are the most common type of blood cell. RBCs take up oxygen in the lungs, or gills of fish, and release it into tissues throughout the body. In humans, mature RBCs are oval disks that lack a cell nucleus and most organelles to maximize space for hemoglobin, an iron-rich molecule that binds oxygen and is responsible for the red color of the cells and the blood. Nearly half of the blood's volume is made up of red blood cells.