Red blood cell - wikipedia Red blood cell Jump to : navigation , search Red blood cell Scanning electron micrograph of human red blood cells ( ca . 6 -- 8 μm in diameter ) Details Function Oxygen transport Identifiers Acronym ( s ) RBC MeSH D004912 Anatomical terms of microanatomy ( edit on Wikidata ) Red blood cells ( RBCs ) , also called erythrocytes , are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate 's principal means of delivering oxygen ( O ) to the body tissues -- via blood flow through the circulatory system . RBCs take up oxygen in the lungs , or gills of fish , and release it into tissues while squeezing through the body 's capillaries . The cytoplasm of erythrocytes is rich in hemoglobin , an iron - containing biomolecule that can bind oxygen and is responsible for the red color of the cells . The cell membrane is composed of proteins and lipids , and this structure provides properties essential for physiological cell function such as deformability and stability while traversing the circulatory system and specifically the capillary network . In humans , mature red blood cells are flexible and oval biconcave disks . They lack a cell nucleus and most organelles , in order to accommodate maximum space for hemoglobin ; they can be viewed as sacks of hemoglobin , with a plasma membrane as the sack . Approximately 2.4 million new erythrocytes are produced per second in human adults . The cells develop in the bone marrow and circulate for about 100 -- 120 days in the body before their components are recycled by macrophages . Each circulation takes about 60 seconds ( one minute ) . Approximately a quarter of the cells in the human body are red blood cells . Nearly half of the blood 's volume ( 40 % to 45 % ) is red blood cells . Red blood cells are also known as RBCs , red cells , red blood corpuscles , haematids , erythroid cells or erythrocytes ( from Greek erythros for `` red '' and kytos for `` hollow vessel '' , with - cyte translated as `` cell '' in modern usage ) . Packed red blood cells ( pRBC ) are red blood cells that have been donated , processed , and stored in a blood bank for blood transfusion . Contents ( hide ) 1 Structure 1.1 Vertebrates 1.2 Mammals 1.3 Human 2 Microstructure 2.1 Nucleus 2.2 Membrane composition 2.2. 1 Membrane lipids 2.2. 2 Membrane proteins 2.3 Surface electrostatic potential 3 Function 3.1 Secondary functions 3.2 Cellular processes 4 Life cycle 4.1 Creation 4.2 Functional lifetime 4.3 Senescence 5 Clinical significance 5.1 Disease 5.2 Transfusion 5.3 Tests 5.4 Separation and blood doping 6 History 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Structure Vertebrates There is an immense size variation in vertebrate red blood cells , as well as a correlation between cell and nucleus size . Mammalian red blood cells , which do not contain nuclei , are considerably smaller than those of most other vertebrates . Mature red blood cells of birds have a nucleus , however in the blood of adult females of penguin Pygoscelis papua enucleated red blood cells ( B ) have been observed , but with very low frequency . Almost all vertebrates , including all mammals and humans , have red blood cells . Red blood cells are cells present in blood in order to transport oxygen . The only known vertebrates without red blood cells are the crocodile icefish ( family Channichthyidae ) ; they live in very oxygen - rich cold water and transport oxygen freely dissolved in their blood . While they no longer use hemoglobin , remnants of hemoglobin genes can be found in their genome . Vertebrate red blood cells consist mainly of hemoglobin , a complex metalloprotein containing heme groups whose iron atoms temporarily bind to oxygen molecules ( O ) in the lungs or gills and release them throughout the body . Oxygen can easily diffuse through the red blood cell 's cell membrane . Hemoglobin in the red blood cells also carries some of the waste product carbon dioxide back from the tissues ; most waste carbon dioxide , however , is transported back to the pulmonary capillaries of the lungs as bicarbonate ( HCO ) dissolved in the blood plasma . Myoglobin , a compound related to hemoglobin , acts to store oxygen in muscle cells . The color of red blood cells is due to the heme group of hemoglobin . The blood plasma alone is straw - colored , but the red blood cells change color depending on the state of the hemoglobin : when combined with oxygen the resulting oxyhemoglobin is scarlet , and when oxygen has been released the resulting deoxyhemoglobin is of a dark red burgundy color . However , blood can appear bluish when seen through the vessel wall and skin . Pulse oximetry takes advantage of the hemoglobin color change to directly measure the arterial blood oxygen saturation using colorimetric techniques . Hemoglobin also has a very high affinity for carbon monoxide , forming carboxyhemoglobin which is a very bright red in color . Flushed , confused patients with a saturation reading of 100 % on pulse oximetry are sometimes found to be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning . Having oxygen - carrying proteins inside specialized cells ( as opposed to oxygen carriers being dissolved in body fluid ) was an important step in the evolution of vertebrates as it allows for less viscous blood , higher concentrations of oxygen , and better diffusion of oxygen from the blood to the tissues . The size of red blood cells varies widely among vertebrate species ; red blood cell width is on average about 25 % larger than capillary diameter , and it has been hypothesized that this improves the oxygen transfer from red blood cells to tissues . Mammals Typical mammalian red blood cells : ( a ) seen from surface ; ( b ) in profile , forming rouleaux ; ( c ) rendered spherical by water ; ( d ) rendered crenate by salt . ( c ) and ( d ) do not normally occur in the body . The red blood cells of mammal s are typically shaped as biconcave disks : flattened and depressed in the center , with a dumbbell - shaped cross section , and a torus - shaped rim on the edge of the disk . This distinctive biconcave shape optimises the flow properties of blood in the large vessels , such as maximization of laminar flow and minimization of platelet scatter , which suppresses their atherogenic activity in those large vessels . Moreover , this shape allows for a high surface - area - to - volume ( SA / V ) ratio to facilitate diffusion of gases . However , there are some exceptions concerning shape in the artiodactyl order ( even - toed ungulates including cattle , deer , and their relatives ) , which displays a wide variety of bizarre red blood cell morphologies : small and highly ovaloid cells in llamas and camels ( family Camelidae ) , tiny spherical cells in mouse deer ( family Tragulidae ) , and cells which assume fusiform , lanceolate , crescentic , and irregularly polygonal and other angular forms in red deer and wapiti ( family Cervidae ) . Members of this order have clearly evolved a mode of red blood cell development substantially different from the mammalian norm . Overall , mammalian red blood cells are remarkably flexible and deformable so as to squeeze through tiny capillaries , as well as to maximize their apposing surface by assuming a cigar shape , where they efficiently release their oxygen load . Red blood cells in mammals are unique amongst vertebrates as they do not have nuclei when mature . Red blood cells of mammals cells have nuclei during early phases of erythropoiesis , but extrude them during development as they mature in order to provide more space for hemoglobin . The red blood cells without nuclei , called reticulocytes , go on to lose all other cellular organelles such as their mitochondria , Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum . The spleen acts as a reservoir of red blood cells , but this effect is somewhat limited in humans . In some other mammals such as dogs and horses , the spleen sequesters large numbers of red blood cells which are dumped into the blood during times of exertion stress , yielding a higher oxygen transport capacity . Scanning electron micrograph of blood cells . From left to right : human red blood cell , thrombocyte ( platelet ) , leukocyte . Human Two drops of blood are shown with a bright red oxygenated drop on the left and a deoxygenated drop on the right . Animation of a typical human red blood cell cycle in the circulatory system . This animation occurs at a faster rate ( ~ 20 seconds of the average 60 - second cycle ) and shows the red blood cell deforming as it enters capillaries , as well as the bars changing color as the cell alternates in states of oxygenation along the circulatory system . A typical human red blood cell has a disk diameter of approximately 6.2 -- 8.2 μm and a thickness at the thickest point of 2 -- 2.5 μm and a minimum thickness in the centre of 0.8 -- 1 μm , being much smaller than most other human cells . These cells have an average volume of about 90 fL with a surface of about 136 μm , and can swell up to a sphere shape containing 150 fL , without membrane distension . Adult humans have roughly 20 -- 30 trillion red blood cells at any given time , constituting approximately 70 % all cells by number . Women have about 4 -- 5 million red blood cells per microliter ( cubic millimeter ) of blood and men about 5 -- 6 million ; people living at high altitudes with low oxygen tension will have more . Red blood cells are thus much more common than the other blood particles : there are about 4,000 -- 11,000 white blood cells and about 150,000 -- 400,000 platelets per microliter . Human red blood cells take on average 60 seconds to complete one cycle of circulation . The blood 's red color is due to the spectral properties of the hemic iron ions in hemoglobin . Each human red blood cell contains approximately 270 million of these hemoglobin molecules . Each hemoglobin molecule carries four heme groups ; hemoglobin constitutes about a third of the total cell volume . Hemoglobin is responsible for the transport of more than 98 % of the oxygen in the body ( the remaining oxygen is carried dissolved in the blood plasma ) . The red blood cells of an average adult human male store collectively about 2.5 grams of iron , representing about 65 % of the total iron contained in the body . Microstructure Nucleus Red blood cells in mammals anucleate when mature , meaning that they lack a cell nucleus . In comparison , the red blood cells of other vertebrates have nuclei ; the only known exceptions are salamanders of the genus Batrachoseps and fish of the genus Maurolicus . The elimination of the nucleus in vertebrate red blood cells has been offered as an explanation for the subsequent accumulation of non-coding DNA in the genome . The argument runs as follows : Efficient gas transport requires red blood cells to pass through very narrow capillaries , and this constrains their size . In the absence of nuclear elimination , the accumulation of repeat sequences is constrained by the volume occupied by the nucleus , which increases with genome size . Nucleated red blood cells in mammals consist of two forms : normoblasts , which are normal erythropoietic precursors to mature red blood cells , and megaloblasts , which are abnormally large precursors that occur in megaloblastic anemias . Membrane composition Red blood cells are deformable , flexible , are able to adhere to other cells , and are able to interface with immune cells . Their membrane plays many roles in this . These functions are highly dependent on the membrane composition . The red blood cell membrane is composed of 3 layers : the glycocalyx on the exterior , which is rich in carbohydrates ; the lipid bilayer which contains many transmembrane proteins , besides its lipidic main constituents ; and the membrane skeleton , a structural network of proteins located on the inner surface of the lipid bilayer . Half of the membrane mass in human and most mammalian red blood cells are proteins . The other half are lipids , namely phospholipids and cholesterol . Membrane lipids The most common red blood cell cell membrane lipids , schematically disposed as they are distributed on the bilayer . Relative abundances are not at scale . The red blood cell cell membrane comprises a typical lipid bilayer , similar to what can be found in virtually all human cells . Simply put , this lipid bilayer is composed of cholesterol and phospholipids in equal proportions by weight . The lipid composition is important as it defines many physical properties such as membrane permeability and fluidity . Additionally , the activity of many membrane proteins is regulated by interactions with lipids in the bilayer . Unlike cholesterol , which is evenly distributed between the inner and outer leaflets , the 5 major phospholipids are asymmetrically disposed , as shown below : Outer monolayer Phosphatidylcholine ( PC ) ; Sphingomyelin ( SM ) . Inner monolayer Phosphatidylethanolamine ( PE ) ; Phosphoinositol ( PI ) ( small amounts ) . Phosphatidylserine ( PS ) ; This asymmetric phospholipid distribution among the bilayer is the result of the function of several energy - dependent and energy - independent phospholipid transport proteins . Proteins called `` Flippases '' move phospholipids from the outer to the inner monolayer , while others called `` floppases '' do the opposite operation , against a concentration gradient in an energy dependent manner . Additionally , there are also `` scramblase '' proteins that move phospholipids in both directions at the same time , down their concentration gradients in an energy independent manner . There is still considerable debate ongoing regarding the identity of these membrane maintenance proteins in the red cell membrane . The maintenance of an asymmetric phospholipid distribution in the bilayer ( such as an exclusive localization of PS and PIs in the inner monolayer ) is critical for the cell integrity and function due to several reasons : Macrophages recognize and phagocytose red cells that expose PS at their outer surface . Thus the confinement of PS in the inner monolayer is essential if the cell is to survive its frequent encounters with macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system , especially in the spleen . Premature destruction of thallassemic and sickle red cells has been linked to disruptions of lipid asymmetry leading to exposure of PS on the outer monolayer . An exposure of PS can potentiate adhesion of red cells to vascular endothelial cells , effectively preventing normal transit through the microvasculature . Thus it is important that PS is maintained only in the inner leaflet of the bilayer to ensure normal blood flow in microcirculation . Both PS and phosphatidylinositol - 4 , 5 - bisphosphate ( PIP2 ) can regulate membrane mechanical function , due to their interactions with skeletal proteins such as spectrin and protein 4.1 R. Recent studies have shown that binding of spectrin to PS promotes membrane mechanical stability . PIP2 enhances the binding of protein band 4.1 R to glycophorin C but decreases its interaction with protein band 3 , and thereby may modulate the linkage of the bilayer to the membrane skeleton . The presence of specialized structures named `` lipid rafts '' in the red blood cell membrane have been described by recent studies . These are structures enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids associated with specific membrane proteins , namely flotillins , stomatins ( band 7 ) , G - proteins , and β - adrenergic receptors . Lipid rafts that have been implicated in cell signaling events in nonerythroid cells have been shown in erythroid cells to mediate β2 - adregenic receptor signaling and increase cAMP levels , and thus regulating entry of malarial parasites into normal red cells . Membrane proteins Red blood cell membrane proteins separated by SDS - PAGE and silverstained The proteins of the membrane skeleton are responsible for the deformability , flexibility and durability of the red blood cell , enabling it to squeeze through capillaries less than half the diameter of the red blood cell ( 7 -- 8 μm ) and recovering the discoid shape as soon as these cells stop receiving compressive forces , in a similar fashion to an object made of rubber . There are currently more than 50 known membrane proteins , which can exist in a few hundred up to a million copies per red blood cell . Approximately 25 of these membrane proteins carry the various blood group antigens , such as the A , B and Rh antigens , among many others . These membrane proteins can perform a wide diversity of functions , such as transporting ions and molecules across the red cell membrane , adhesion and interaction with other cells such as endothelial cells , as signaling receptors , as well as other currently unknown functions . The blood types of humans are due to variations in surface glycoproteins of red blood cells . Disorders of the proteins in these membranes are associated with many disorders , such as hereditary spherocytosis , hereditary elliptocytosis , hereditary stomatocytosis , and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria . The red blood cell membrane proteins organized according to their function : Red blood cell membrane major proteins Transport Band 3 -- Anion transporter , also an important structural component of the red blood cell cell membrane , makes up to 25 % of the cell membrane surface , each red cell contains approximately one million copies . Defines the Diego Blood Group ; Aquaporin 1 -- water transporter , defines the Colton Blood Group ; Glut1 -- glucose and L - dehydroascorbic acid transporter ; Kidd antigen protein -- urea transporter ; RhAG -- gas transporter , probably of carbon dioxide , defines Rh Blood Group and the associated unusual blood group phenotype Rh ; Na / K -- ATPase ; Ca -- ATPase ; Na K 2Cl -- cotransporter ; Na - Cl -- cotransporter ; Na - H exchanger ; K - Cl -- cotransporter ; Gardos Channel . Cell adhesion ICAM - 4 -- interacts with integrins ; BCAM -- a glycoprotein that defines the Lutheran blood group and also known as Lu or laminin - binding protein . Structural role -- The following membrane proteins establish linkages with skeletal proteins and may play an important role in regulating cohesion between the lipid bilayer and membrane skeleton , likely enabling the red cell to maintain its favorable membrane surface area by preventing the membrane from collapsing ( vesiculating ) . Ankyrin - based macromolecular complex -- proteins linking the bilayer to the membrane skeleton through the interaction of their cytoplasmic domains with Ankyrin . Band 3 -- also assembles various glycolytic enzymes , the presumptive CO transporter , and carbonic anhydrase into a macromolecular complex termed a `` metabolon , '' which may play a key role in regulating red cell metabolism and ion and gas transport function ) ; RhAG -- also involved in transport , defines associated unusual blood group phenotype Rh . Protein 4.1 R - based macromolecular complex -- proteins interacting with Protein 4.1 R . Protein 4.1 R -- weak expression of Gerbich antigens ; Glycophorin C and D -- glycoprotein , defines Gerbich Blood Group ; XK -- defines the Kell Blood Group and the Mcleod unusual phenotype ( lack of Kx antigen and greatly reduced expression of Kell antigens ) ; RhD / RhCE -- defines Rh Blood Group and the associated unusual blood group phenotype Rh ; Duffy protein -- has been proposed to be associated with chemokine clearance ; Adducin -- interaction with band 3 ; Dematin - interaction with the Glut1 glucose transporter . Surface electrostatic potential The zeta potential is an electrochemical property of cell surfaces that is determined by the net electrical charge of molecules exposed at the surface of cell membranes of the cell . The normal zeta potential of the red blood cell is − 15.7 milli volts ( mV ) . Much of this potential appears to be contributed by the exposed sialic acid residues in the membrane : their removal results in zeta potential of − 6.06 mV . Function Secondary functions When red blood cells undergo shear stress in constricted vessels , they release ATP , which causes the vessel walls to relax and dilate so as to promote normal blood flow . When their hemoglobin molecules are deoxygenated , red blood cells release S - nitrosothiols , which also act to dilate blood vessels , thus directing more blood to areas of the body depleted of oxygen . Red blood cells can also synthesize nitric oxide enzymatically , using L - arginine as substrate , as do endothelial cells . Exposure of red blood cells to physiological levels of shear stress activates nitric oxide synthase and export of nitric oxide , which may contribute to the regulation of vascular tonus . Red blood cells can also produce hydrogen sulfide , a signalling gas that acts to relax vessel walls . It is believed that the cardioprotective effects of garlic are due to red blood cells converting its sulfur compounds into hydrogen sulfide . Red blood cells also play a part in the body 's immune response : when lysed by pathogens such as bacteria , their hemoglobin releases free radicals , which break down the pathogen 's cell wall and membrane , killing it . Cellular processes As a result of not containing mitochondria , red blood cells use none of the oxygen they transport ; instead they produce the energy carrier ATP by the glycolysis of glucose and lactic acid fermentation on the resulting pyruvate . Furthermore , the pentose phosphate pathway plays an important role in red blood cells ; see glucose - 6 - phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency for more . As red blood cells contain no nucleus , protein biosynthesis is currently assumed to be absent in these cells . Because of the lack of nuclei and organelles , mature red blood cells do not contain DNA and can not synthesize any RNA , and consequently can not divide and have limited repair capabilities . The inability to carry out protein synthesis means that no virus can evolve to target mammalian red blood cells . However , infection with parvoviruses ( such as human parvovirus B19 ) can affect erythroid precursors , as recognized by the presence of giant pronormoblasts with viral particles and inclusion bodies , thus temporarily depleting the blood of reticulocytes and causing anemia . Life cycle Human red blood cells are produced through a process named erythropoiesis , developing from committed stem cells to mature red blood cells in about 7 days . When matured , in a healthy individual these cells live in blood circulation for about 100 to 120 days ( and 80 to 90 days in a full term infant ) . At the end of their lifespan , they are removed from circulation . In many chronic diseases , the lifespan of the red blood cells is reduced . Creation Erythropoiesis is the process by which new red blood cells are produced ; it lasts about 7 days . Through this process red blood cells are continuously produced in the red bone marrow of large bones . ( In the embryo , the liver is the main site of red blood cell production . ) The production can be stimulated by the hormone erythropoietin ( EPO ) , synthesised by the kidney . Just before and after leaving the bone marrow , the developing cells are known as reticulocytes ; these constitute about 1 % of circulating red blood cells . Functional lifetime The functional lifetime of an red blood cell is about 100 -- 120 days , during which time the red blood cells are continually moved by the blood flow push ( in arteries ) , pull ( in veins ) and a combination of the two as they squeeze through microvessels such as capillaries . They are also recycled in the bone marrow . Senescence The aging red blood cell undergoes changes in its plasma membrane , making it susceptible to selective recognition by macrophages and subsequent phagocytosis in the mononuclear phagocyte system ( spleen , liver and lymph nodes ) , thus removing old and defective cells and continually purging the blood . This process is termed eryptosis , red blood cell programmed cell death . This process normally occurs at the same rate of production by erythropoiesis , balancing the total circulating red blood cell count . Eryptosis is increased in a wide variety of diseases including sepsis , haemolytic uremic syndrome , malaria , sickle cell anemia , beta - thalassemia , glucose - 6 - phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency , phosphate depletion , iron deficiency and Wilson 's disease . Eryptosis can be elicited by osmotic shock , oxidative stress , energy depletion as well as a wide variety of endogenous mediators and xenobiotics . Excessive eryptosis is observed in red blood cells lacking the cGMP - dependent protein kinase type I or the AMP - activated protein kinase AMPK . Inhibitors of eryptosis include erythropoietin , nitric oxide , catecholamines and high concentrations of urea . Much of the resulting breakdown products are recirculated in the body . The heme constituent of hemoglobin are broken down into iron ( Fe ) and biliverdin . The biliverdin is reduced to bilirubin , which is released into the plasma and recirculated to the liver bound to albumin . The iron is released into the plasma to be recirculated by a carrier protein called transferrin . Almost all red blood cells are removed in this manner from the circulation before they are old enough to hemolyze . Hemolyzed hemoglobin is bound to a protein in plasma called haptoglobin , which is not excreted by the kidney . Clinical significance Disease Affected by Sickle - cell disease , red blood cells alter shape and threaten to damage internal organs . Blood diseases involving the red blood cells include : Anemias ( or anaemias ) are diseases characterized by low oxygen transport capacity of the blood , because of low red cell count or some abnormality of the red blood cells or the hemoglobin . Iron deficiency anemia is the most common anemia ; it occurs when the dietary intake or absorption of iron is insufficient , and hemoglobin , which contains iron , can not be formed Sickle - cell disease is a genetic disease that results in abnormal hemoglobin molecules . When these release their oxygen load in the tissues , they become insoluble , leading to mis - shaped red blood cells . These sickle shaped red cells are less deformable and viscoelastic meaning that they have become rigid and can cause blood vessel blockage , pain , strokes , and other tissue damage . Thalassemia is a genetic disease that results in the production of an abnormal ratio of hemoglobin subunits . Hereditary spherocytosis syndromes are a group of inherited disorders characterized by defects in the red blood cell 's cell membrane , causing the cells to be small , sphere - shaped , and fragile instead of donut - shaped and flexible . These abnormal red blood cells are destroyed by the spleen . Several other hereditary disorders of the red blood cell membrane are known . Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disease wherein the body lacks intrinsic factor , required to absorb vitamin B from food . Vitamin B is needed for the production of hemoglobin . Aplastic anemia is caused by the inability of the bone marrow to produce blood cells . Pure red cell aplasia is caused by the inability of the bone marrow to produce only red blood cells . Effect of osmotic pressure on blood cells Micrographs of the effects of osmotic pressure Hemolysis is the general term for excessive breakdown of red blood cells . It can have several causes and can result in hemolytic anemia . The malaria parasite spends part of its life - cycle in red blood cells , feeds on their hemoglobin and then breaks them apart , causing fever . Both sickle - cell disease and thalassemia are more common in malaria areas , because these mutations convey some protection against the parasite . Polycythemias ( or erythrocytoses ) are diseases characterized by a surplus of red blood cells . The increased viscosity of the blood can cause a number of symptoms . In polycythemia vera the increased number of red blood cells results from an abnormality in the bone marrow . Several microangiopathic diseases , including disseminated intravascular coagulation and thrombotic microangiopathies , present with pathognomonic ( diagnostic ) red blood cell fragments called schistocytes . These pathologies generate fibrin strands that sever red blood cells as they try to move past a thrombus . Transfusion Main article : Blood transfusion Red blood cells may be given as part of a blood transfusion . Blood may be donated from another person , or stored by the recipient at an earlier date . Donated blood usually requires screening to ensure that donors do not contain risk factors for the presence of blood - borne diseases , or will not suffer themselves by giving blood . Blood is usually collected and tested for common or serious Blood - borne diseases including Hepatitis B , Hepatitis C and HIV . The blood type ( A , B , AB , or O ) or the blood product is identified . This relates to the presence of antigens on the cell 's surface . After this process , the blood is stored , and within a short duration is used . Blood can be given as a whole product or the red blood cells separated as packed red blood cells . Blood is often transfused when there is known anaemia , active bleeding , or when there is an expectation of serious blood loss , such as prior to an operation . Before blood is given , a small sample of the recipient 's blood is tested with the transfusion in a process known as cross-matching . In addition to the transmission of infection , certain types of transfusion reaction . In 2008 it was reported that human embryonic stem cells had been successfully coaxed into becoming red blood cells in the lab . The difficult step was to induce the cells to eject their nucleus ; this was achieved by growing the cells on stromal cells from the bone marrow . It is hoped that these artificial red blood cells can eventually be used for blood transfusions . Tests Several blood tests involve red blood cells . These include a RBC count ( the number of red blood cells per volume of blood ) , calculation of the hematocrit ( percentage of blood volume occupied by red blood cells ) , and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate . The blood type needs to be determined to prepare for a blood transfusion or an organ transplantation . Many diseases involving red blood cells are diagnosed with a blood film ( or peripheral blood smear ) , where a thin layer of blood is smeared on a microscope slide . This may reveal abnormalities of red blood cell shape and form . When red blood cells sometimes occur as a stack , flat side next to flat side . This is known as rouleaux formation , and it occurs more often if the levels of certain serum proteins are elevated , as for instance during inflammation . Separation and blood doping Red blood cells can be obtained from whole blood by centrifugation , which separates the cells from the blood plasma in a process known as blood fractionation . Packed red blood cells , which are made in this way from whole blood with the plasma removed , are used in transfusion medicine . During plasma donation , the red blood cells are pumped back into the body right away and only the plasma is collected . Some athletes have tried to improve their performance by blood doping : first about 1 litre of their blood is extracted , then the red blood cells are isolated , frozen and stored , to be reinjected shortly before the competition . ( Red blood cells can be conserved for 5 weeks at − 79 ° C or − 110 ° F ) This practice is hard to detect but may endanger the human cardiovascular system which is not equipped to deal with blood of the resulting higher viscosity . Another method of blood doping involves injection with erythropoietin in order to stimulate production of red blood cells . Both practices are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency . History The first person to describe red blood cells was the young Dutch biologist Jan Swammerdam , who had used an early microscope in 1658 to study the blood of a frog . Unaware of this work , Anton van Leeuwenhoek provided another microscopic description in 1674 , this time providing a more precise description of red blood cells , even approximating their size , `` 25,000 times smaller than a fine grain of sand '' . In 1901 , Karl Landsteiner published his discovery of the three main blood groups -- A , B , and C ( which he later renamed to O ) . Landsteiner described the regular patterns in which reactions occurred when serum was mixed with red blood cells , thus identifying compatible and conflicting combinations between these blood groups . A year later Alfred von Decastello and Adriano Sturli , two colleagues of Landsteiner , identified a fourth blood group -- AB . In 1959 , by use of X-ray crystallography , Dr. Max Perutz was able to unravel the structure of hemoglobin , the red blood cell protein that carries oxygen . The oldest intact red blood cells ever discovered were found in Ötzi the Iceman , a natural mummy of a man who died around 3255 BCE . These cells were discovered in May 2012 . See also Altitude training Blood serum Erythrocyte deformability Erythrocyte fragility Blood substitute Packed red blood cells Red blood cell indices References Jump up ^ `` Blood Cells '' . Archived from the original on 2016 - 07 - 23 . Jump up ^ Erich Sackmann , Biological Membranes Architecture and Function. , Handbook of Biological Physics , ( ed . R. Lipowsky and E. Sackmann , vol. 1 , Elsevier , 1995 ^ Jump up to : J.A. Blom ( 15 December 2003 ) . Monitoring of Respiration and Circulation . CRC Press . p. 27 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 203 - 50328 - 7 . Jump up ^ Laura Dean . 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( 1982 ) . `` The cytomorphic system of anucleate non-mammalian erythrocytes '' . Protoplasma. 113 : 23 . doi : 10.1007 / BF01283036 . Jump up ^ Wingstrand KG ( 1956 ) . `` Non-nucleated erythrocytes in a teleostean fish Maurolicus mülleri ( Gmelin ) '' . Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und Mikroskopische Anatomie. 45 ( 2 ) : 195 -- 200 . doi : 10.1007 / BF00338830 ( inactive 2017 - 01 - 24 ) . PMID 13402080 . Jump up ^ Gregory , T.R. ( 2001 ) . `` The Bigger the C - Value , the Larger the Cell : Genome Size and Red Blood Cell Size in Vertebrates '' . Blood Cells , Molecules , and Diseases . 27 ( 5 ) : 830 -- 843 . doi : 10.1006 / bcmd. 2001.0457 . PMID 11783946 . ^ Jump up to : Yazdanbakhsh K , Lomas - Francis C , Reid ME ( October 2000 ) . `` Blood groups and diseases associated with inherited abnormalities of the red blood cell membrane '' . Transfusion Medicine Reviews . 14 ( 4 ) : 364 -- 74 . doi : 10.1053 / tmrv. 2000.16232 . PMID 11055079 . 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CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ Benavides , Gloria A ; Victor M Darley - Usmar ; Mills , R.W. ; Patel , H.D. ; Isbell , T.S. ; Patel , R.P. ; Darley - Usmar , V.M. ; Doeller , J.E. ; Kraus , D.W. ( 2007 - 11 - 13 ) . `` Hydrogen sulfide mediates the vasoactivity of garlic '' . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 104 ( 46 ) : 17977 -- 17982 . Bibcode : 2007PNAS ... 10417977B . doi : 10.1073 / pnas. 0705710104 . PMC 2084282 . PMID 17951430 . Retrieved 2010 - 03 - 03 . Jump up ^ Kesava , Shobana ( 2007 - 09 - 01 ) . `` Red blood cells do more than just carry oxygen ; New findings by NUS team show they aggressively attack bacteria too '' ( PDF ) . The Straits Times . Retrieved 2013 - 03 - 26 . Jump up ^ Jiang N , Tan NS , Ho B , Ding JL ( October 2007 ) . `` Respiratory protein - generated reactive oxygen species as an antimicrobial strategy '' . Nature Immunology. 8 ( 10 ) : 1114 -- 22 . doi : 10.1038 / ni1501 . PMID 17721536 . CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ Jr , Jeremy M. Berg , John L. Tymoczko , Lubert Stryer ; with Gregory J. Gatto , ( 2012 ) . Biochemistry ( 7th ed . ) . New York : W.H. Freeman . pp. 455 , 609 . ISBN 9781429229364 . Jump up ^ Tilton , WM ; Seaman , C ; Carriero , D ; Piomelli , S ( August 1991 ) . `` Regulation of glycolysis in the erythrocyte : role of the lactate / pyruvate and NAD / NADH ratios '' . The Journal of laboratory and clinical medicine . 118 ( 2 ) : 146 -- 52 . PMID 1856577 . Jump up ^ Kabanova S , Kleinbongard P , Volkmer J , Andrée B , Kelm M , Jax TW ( 2009 ) . `` Gene expression analysis of human red blood cells '' . International Journal of Medical Sciences . 6 ( 4 ) : 156 -- 9 . doi : 10.7150 / ijms. 6.156 . PMC 2677714 . PMID 19421340 . CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ Zimmer , Carl ( 2007 - 03 - 27 ) . `` Scientists Explore Ways to Lure Viruses to Their Death '' . The New York Times . 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IUBMB Life . 60 ( 10 ) : 661 -- 8 . doi : 10.1002 / iub. 106 . PMID 18720418 . CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ An X , Mohandas N ( May 2008 ) . `` Disorders of red cell membrane '' . British Journal of Haematology. 141 ( 3 ) : 367 -- 75 . doi : 10.1111 / j. 1365 - 2141.2008. 07091. x . PMID 18341630 . CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ First red blood cells grown in the lab , New Scientist News , 19 August 2008 Jump up ^ `` Circular of Information for Blood and Blood Products '' ( PDF ) . American Association of Blood Banks , American Red Cross , America 's Blood Centers . Archived from the original ( pdf ) on 2011 - 10 - 30 . Retrieved 2010 - 11 - 01 . Jump up ^ `` Swammerdam , Jan ( 1637 -- 1680 ) '' , McGraw Hill AccessScience , 2007 . Accessed 27 December 2007 . Jump up ^ `` Red Gold -- Blood History Timeline '' . PBS . 2002 . Retrieved 27 December 2007 . Jump up ^ Stephanie Pappas ( May 2 , 2012 ) . `` ' Iceman ' mummy holds world 's oldest blood cells '' . Fox News . Retrieved May 2 , 2012 . External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Red blood cells . Blood Groups and Red Cell Antigens by Laura Dean . Searchable and downloadable online textbook in the public domain . Database of vertebrate erythrocyte sizes . Red Gold , PBS site containing facts and history Transfusion medicine General concepts Apheresis ( plasmapheresis , plateletpheresis , leukapheresis ) Blood transfusion Coombs test ( direct and indirect ) Cross-matching Exchange transfusion International Society of Blood Transfusion Intraoperative blood salvage ISBT 128 Transfusion reactions Blood group systems / blood types ABO Chido - Rodgers Colton Cromer Diego Dombrock Duffy Er FORS Gerbich GIL GLOB Hh Ii Indian JR JMH Kell ( Xk ) Kidd Knops Lan Lewis Lutheran LW MNS OK Raph Rh and RHAG Scianna T - Tn Vel Xg Yt Other Blood products / blood donation Whole blood Platelets Red blood cells Plasma / Fresh frozen plasma / PF24 ( Cryoprecipitate + Cryosupernatant ) Blood substitutes The main cell types in blood Myeloid Granulocytes CFU - G Band cell Neutrophil Basophil CFU - Baso Eosinophil CFU - Eos Mast cell CFU - Mast Monocytes Macrophages Histiocytes Kupffer cells Alveolar macrophage Microglia Osteoclasts Epithelioid cells giant cells Langhans giant cells , Foreign - body giant cell Touton giant cells Other Antigen presenting cells Dendritic cells Langerhans cell CFU - DL CFU - M MPS Platelets CFU - Meg Megakaryoblast Promegakaryocyte Megakaryocyte Red blood cells Reticulocyte Normoblast CFU - E Other Precursor cells CFU - GM Megakaryocyte -- erythroid progenitor cell CFU - GEMM Myelomonocyte Other Plasma Hematopoietic stem cell GND : 4070945 - 0 NDL : 00570626 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Red_blood_cell&oldid=837502829 '' Categories : Human cells Blood cells Respiration 1658 in science Hidden categories : Pages with unresolved properties CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter Pages with DOIs inactive since 2017 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from March 2017 Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Asturianu Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Български Bosanski Brezhoneg Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch ދިވެހިބަސް Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ಕನ್ನಡ Kapampangan ქართული Қазақша Kiswahili Kreyòl ayisyen Kurdî Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Lumbaart Magyar Македонски മലയാളം मराठी Bahasa Melayu Монгол Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پښتو Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Sardu Scots Shqip Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Basa Sunda Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் తెలుగు ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو ئۇيغۇرچە / Uyghurche Tiếng Việt Winaray 粵語 中文 82 more Edit links This page was last edited on 21 April 2018 , at 07 : 11 . 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Kate Warne - wikipedia Kate Warne Jump to : navigation , search This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . ( December 2016 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message ) Kate Warne 1833 Erin , Chemung County , New York January 28 , 1868 ( age 34 - 35 ) Chicago , Cook County , Illinois Cause of death pulmonary edema caused by pneumonia Resting place Graceland Cemetery , Chicago , Cook County , Illinois Nationality American Other names Kay Warne , Kay Waren , Kay Warren , Kate Warne , Kate Waren , Kate Warren , Kitty Warne , Kitty Waren , Kitty Warren , Kittie Waren , Kittie Warne , Kittie Warren , Angie Warren , Mrs. Barley , Mrs. Cherry Occupation detective , spy , female superintendent of detectives , supervisor of women agents Known for First female detective , in the Pinkerton Detective Agency and the first , female detective in the United States , responsible for uncovering the 1861 Baltimore Plot to assassinate president - elect Abraham Lincoln Kate Warne ( 1833 -- January 28 , 1868 ) was the first female detective , in 1856 , in the Pinkerton Detective Agency and the United States . Contents ( hide ) 1 Pre -- Civil War 1.1 Early detective work : 1856 - 1861 2 The Baltimore Plot 3 Civil War : Intelligence work for the Union , 1861 -- 1865 4 Post-Civil War : Continued espionage , 1865 -- 1867 5 Burial 6 In popular culture 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading Pre -- Civil War ( edit ) Early Detective work : 1856 - 1861 ( edit ) Very little is known about Kate Warne prior to her working for Allan Pinkerton , except that she was born in Erin , Chemung County , New York and was a widow by age 23 . Pinkerton , in his book The Spy of the Rebellion ( 1883 ) , described her as : ( a ) commanding person , with clear cut , expressive features ... a slender , brown - haired woman , graceful in her movements and self - possessed . Her features , although not what could be called handsome ( beautiful ) , were decidedly of an intellectual cast ... her face was honest , which would cause one in distress instinctly ( sic ) to select her as a confidante . Warne walked into the Pinkerton Detective Agency in response to an advertisement in a local newspaper . When she walked into Pinkerton 's Chicago office , according to Pinkerton company records , he further described her acquaintance : `` ( he ) was surprised to learn Kate was not looking for clerical work , but was actually answering an advertisement for detectives he had placed in a Chicago newspaper . At the time , such a concept was almost unheard of . Pinkerton said '' It is not the custom to employ women detectives ! '' Kate argued her point of view eloquently - pointing out that women could be `` most useful in worming out secrets in many places which would be impossible for a male detective . '' A Woman would be able to befriend the wives and girlfriends of suspected criminals and gain their confidence . Men become braggarts when they are around women who encourage them to boast . Kate also noted , Women have an eye for detail and are excellent observers . '' Warne 's arguments swayed Pinkerton , who employed Warne as the first female detective . Pinkerton soon had a chance to put Warne to the test . In 1858 , Warne was involved in the case of Adams Express Company embezzlements , where she was successfully able to bring herself into the confidence of the wife of the prime suspect , Mr. Maroney . She thereby acquired valuable evidence leading to the husband 's conviction . Mr. Maroney was an expressman living in Montgomery , Alabama . The Maroneys stole $50,000 from the Adams Express Company . With Warne 's help , $39,515 was returned . Mr. Maroney was convicted and sentenced to ten years in Montgomery , Alabama . In 1860 , Allan Pinkerton put Warne in charge of his new Female Detective Bureau . The Baltimore plot ( edit ) In 1861 , Allan Pinkerton was hired by Samuel H. Felton , president of the Philadelphia , Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad , to investigate secessionist activity and threats of damage to the railroad in Maryland . Pinkerton soon was at work , placing agents at various points in Maryland to investigate the possibility . As the investigation proceeded , Pinkerton became aware that the activity in Maryland did not just end with the railroad , but included the president - elect , Abraham Lincoln . Pinkerton received permission to continue his investigation and focus on the possible assassination plot . Warne was one of five agents sent to Baltimore , Maryland , on February 3 , 1861 , to investigate the hotbed of secessionist activity . During the investigation , evidence unveiled a plot to assassinate Lincoln on his way to take office . Under the aliases Mrs. Cherry and Mrs. M. Barley ( M.B. ) , Warne tracked suspicious movement among the Baltimore secessionists . It was in part through her undercover work in the guise of : ( A ) rich southern lady visiting Baltimore with a thick southern accent that apparently Mrs. Warne infiltrated secessionist social gatherings , in the Baltimore area , places such as the classy Barnum Hotel posing as a flirting `` Southern belle '' and was quick to not only verify that there was a plot to assassinate Lincoln , she developed details of how the assassination was going to occur . Pinkerton had agents across Maryland . However , it was Warne specifically who supplied many key details , causing Pinkerton to believe that the plot was imminent . Warne had befriended secessionists in Maryland and collected many details about the plot to assassinate Lincoln . The president - elect , Abraham Lincoln , was traveling from his home in Springfield , Illinois , to the Capital via a train tour that was to stop at notable cities along the way . His published program showed that Lincoln 's last leg of the journey was from Harrisburg , Pennsylvania , to Washington , D.C. Due to the configuration of the rail system , all southbound trains required a transfer to be made in Baltimore , Maryland . The northbound station ended at Calvert Street and the southbound train station started at Camden Street ( now the Camden Yards station ) . The distance between these two stations were about a mile by carriage ride . The secessionist plot to kill Lincoln was : just as Mr. Lincoln would be passing through the narrow vestibule of the Depot at Calvert St. Station , to enter his carriage . A row or fight was to be got up by some outsiders to quell which the few policemen at the Depot would rush out , thus leaving Mr. Lincoln entirely unprotected and at the mercy of a mob of Secessionists who were to surround him at that time . A small Steamer had been chartered and was lying in one of the Bays or little streams running into the Chesapeake Bay , to which the murderers were to flee and it was immediately to put off for Virginia . After seeing the pieces of the plot coming together , Pinkerton requested of Kate Warne on the morning of February 18 to take the 5 : 10 evening train to New York City . Once there , she was to set up a meeting with Norman B. Judd and place into his confidence a letter from Pinkerton stating all the hereto discovered details of the assassination attempt . After Warne supplied details of the Baltimore Plot to Judd , Judd set up a meeting between himself , Pinkerton and Lincoln on February 21 . At this meeting , Lincoln was doubtful about an assassination plot , or that if such a plot existed that it should be taken seriously . However , a second independent source confirmed the plot by way of Frederick W. Seward , son of William H. Seward ( the secretary of state -- designate ) . From this point , Lincoln agreed that the assassination plot was plausible enough to take action . Lincoln decided to avoid hazard where it was not necessary , however he refused to cancel any of his scheduled plans in Harrisburg . His agenda included giving three speeches , the raising of the American flag , at Independence Hall , and attending a high - profile dinner . Accordingly , they made train arrangements that allowed Lincoln to fulfill his scheduled duties in Harrisburg . It was not until 5 : 45 that night that there was any deviation from his schedule . John George Nicolay , Lincoln 's private secretary , interrupted the dinner party to excuse the president - elect . Lincoln then changed into a traveling suit , a soft felt cap and carried a shawl upon one arm to play the role of an invalid . Pinkerton , meanwhile , had the telegraph lines interrupted to prevent any knowledge of the deviation in Lincoln 's schedule . At the station , Warne entered the sleeping car through the rear along with Pinkerton , Ward Hill Lamon , and a still - disguised Lincoln . She greeted Lincoln loudly as she would have a true brother . From Harrisburg , Abraham Lincoln rode to Philadelphia by a special Pennsylvania Railroad train . From Philadelphia he went to Baltimore by a special Philadelphia , Wilmington , and Baltimore train on the night of February 22 -- 23 . It is said that Kate Warne did not sleep a wink on the overnight trip from Pennsylvania to Washington D.C. The disguises provided by Warne that night enabled Lincoln to make it through Baltimore without recognition and take his seat in the White House . It is believed that Pinkerton came up with the slogan to his agency `` we never sleep '' as a result of Warne 's guard of Lincoln that night . Warne was key in the foiled Baltimore assassination plot -- not only did she help uncover its details , but she also carried out most of the arrangements to smuggle Lincoln into Washington , D.C. She couriered secret information and set up meetings as well as securing the necessary four berths on a train leaving Philadelphia under the pretext that these berths were for her sick brother and family members . The train pulled out shortly before 11 p.m. and arrived in Baltimore about 3 : 30 a.m. on February 23 . Warne remained in Baltimore as the sleeping cars with Lincoln on board were shifted to another train , which arrived in Washington around 6 a.m. Civil War : Intelligence work for the union , 1861 -- 1865 ( edit ) During the American Civil War Kate Warne traveled with her boss , Allan Pinkerton , to meet with General George B. McClellan 's Ohio Division . This photo shows Pinkerton and President Lincoln at the Battle of Antietam in 1862 . During the American Civil War , Allan Pinkerton and Kate Warne were used as a covert war intelligence - gathering bureau . Warne could easily penetrate into Southern social gatherings . She said that women are most useful in worming out secrets in many places which would be impossible for a male detective . Believed to be a mistress of Pinkerton , Warne would often pose as his wife while undercover . She also had an assortment of alias names : Kay Warne , Kay Waren , Kay Warren , Kate Warne , Kate Waren , Kate Warren , Kitty Warne , Kitty Waren , Kitty Warren , Kittie Waren , Kittie Warne , and Kittie Warren . Warne was known as `` Kitty '' to Robert Pinkerton , Allan 's brother . Robert Pinkerton often argued with Warne over expenses turned over to the agency , but her relationship with Allan continued for years . After the quelled assassination attempt on president - elect Abraham Lincoln , Kate Warne continued to travel with Allan Pinkerton as his Female Superintendent of Detectives . On April 12 , 1861 , the Confederate States of America 's cannons in Charleston began firing on Fort Sumter . These cannon shells marked the beginning of the American Civil War . Within nine days , Pinkerton wrote to President Lincoln offering the services of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency . However , before Lincoln could respond , Major General George B. McClellan asked Pinkerton to set up a military intelligence service for McClellan 's command . Therefore , by the end of July 1861 , Pinkerton took Warne , Timothy Webster , and later George Bangs west to set up a headquarters in Cincinnati , Ohio , to follow McClellan 's Ohio division ( see also Cincinnati in the Civil War ) . Post-civil War : continued Espionage , 1865 -- 1867 ( edit ) This section needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . ( May 2017 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message ) After the Civil War , Kate Warne worked on various high - profile cases . One of these involved the murder of a bank - teller , George Gordon . The murderer got away with $130,000 . Pinkerton determined that Gordon was fetching money for a friend or someone who frequented the bank when he was struck on the head behind the ear with a hammer with intent to murder any witnesses of the robbery . Through his investigation , Pinkerton felt certain that his prime suspect , Alexander P. Drysdale , had in fact killed Gordon . However , at this point he did not have enough hard evidence to convict Drysdale ; too much was still based on speculation . Therefore , he set a trap for Drysdale so that he would reveal a confession . Warne was sent under cover as a Mrs. Potter and became close friends with Mr. Drysdale 's wife . Through this plot , they were able to uncover where Drysdale had hidden the stolen money . Another case for which Kate Warne went undercover was brought about by a Captain Sumner , who was convinced that both his sister , Mrs. Annie Thayer and a Mr. Pattmore , were attempting to poison Mrs. Pattmore and himself . Warne took the name Lucille and assumed the role of a fortune teller to lure information out of the suspected murderer 's confidants . In the meantime , she also continually coordinated Pinkerton 's other female detectives in the agency . Pinkerton rented a space for Warne to work as part of her guise . Allan Pinkerton named Kate Warne one of the five best detectives that he had . Her employment by Pinkerton was a significant moment in Woman 's History . Women were not allowed to be a part of the police force until 1891 and could not be detectives until 1903 . Pinkerton specifically thanked Kate Warne and Timothy Webster in his memoirs . Both Warne and Webster were key operatives during the Baltimore Plot investigations . Warne reported back to Pinkerton about all her work when he was away from the office and they worked together , on numerous cases , during their tenure . Pinkerton constantly showed a deep trust in the work that Warne performed and acknowledges so in his memoirs . She was in charge of the Female Detective Bureau established by Pinkerton . Her title was Supervisor of Women Agents . Pinkerton said to his female prospective agents : In my service you will serve your country better than on the field . I have several female operatives . If you agree to come aboard you will go in training with the head of my female detectives , Kate Warne . She has never let me down . Burial ( edit ) Warne was buried in the Pinkerton Family Plot at Graceland Cemetery , Chicago , Illinois . Her gravestone is marked under the misspelled surname of `` Warn '' , and states that she died of `` congestion of the lungs '' , likely a pulmonary edema . In popular culture ( edit ) Kate Warne was depicted as a young detective in the Canadian TV series The Pinkertons , played by Martha MacIsaac . See also ( edit ) American Civil War spies Hattie Lawton Timothy Webster References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : `` History of Policewomen '' . SameShield.com . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 07 . Jump up ^ `` Timothy Webster & Kate Warne '' . Pinkerton Government Services . 2006 - 10 - 15 . Archived from the original on 2006 - 10 - 15 . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 07 . ^ Jump up to : U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence ( 1976 ) . Supplementary Reports on Intelligence Activities . Wikisource . Jump up ^ Williams , David Ricardo ( 1998 ) . Call in Pinkerton 's : American Detectives at Work for Canada . Dundurn . ISBN 9781550023060 . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 07 . Jump up ^ Steers , Edward ( 2005 - 10 - 21 ) . Blood on the Moon : The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln . University Press of Kentucky . ISBN 0813191513 . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 07 . Jump up ^ `` HERNDON 'S INFORMANTS : Letters , Interviews , and Statements about Abraham Lincoln Edited by Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis Letters , Interviews , and Statements Collected by William H. Herndon and Jesse W. Weik , 1865 - 92 '' . University of Illinois Press . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 07 . Jump up ^ `` Kate Warne America 's First female Private - Eye '' . Spy and Private Eye Museum . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 07 . ^ Jump up to : Cuthbert , Norma Barrett , ed. ( 1949 ) . Lincoln and the Baltimore Plot 1861 From Pinkerton records and related papers ( PDF ) . Huntington Library . OL 16180232M . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 26 . Jump up ^ James O. Hall , David Winfred Gaddy , and William A. Tidwell . Come Retribution . Univ . Press of Mississippi . ISBN 9781604736076 . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 08 . CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ Richter , William L. ( 2004 - 05 - 17 ) . Historical Dictionary of the Civil War and Reconstruction . Scarecrow Press . ISBN 9780810865631 . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 08 . Jump up ^ Axelrod , Alan ( 2003 ) . The Complete Idiot 's Guide to the Civil War . Alpha . ISBN 9781592571321 . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 08 . Jump up ^ `` A Matter of Allegiances '' ( PDF ) . Mdhistory.net . p. 172 . Retrieved 2016 - 12 - 18 . Jump up ^ `` Saving Mr. Lincoln '' . Central Intelligence Agency . 2007 - 07 - 11 . Archived from the original on 2007 - 07 - 11 . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 08 . Jump up ^ `` Archived copy '' ( PDF ) . Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2013 - 12 - 25 . Retrieved 2014 - 07 - 24 . Jump up ^ O'Neill , Charles ( 1956 ) . Wild Train : The Story of the Andrews Raiders . Random House . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 08 . Jump up ^ Rinaldi , Ann ( 2001 ) . Girl in Blue . Scholastic . p. 133 . ISBN 9780439073363 . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 08 . Jump up ^ Bernstein , Arnie ( 2003 ) . The Hoofs and Guns of the Storm : Chicago 's Civil War Connections . Lake Claremont Press . p. 152 . ISBN 9781893121065 . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 26 . Further reading ( edit ) Stashower , David , 2013 . The Hour of Peril : The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln before the Civil War , Minotaur Books , New York . ISBN 9780312600228 . Hannigan , Kate , 2015 . The Detective 's Assistant , Little , Brown Books for Young Readers , New York ; ISBN 9780316403511 . Historical fiction based on the cases of Kate Warne . Pinkerton , Allan ( 1900 ) . The Somnambulist and the Detective : The Murderer and the Fortune Teller . Dillingham . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 26 . Pinkerton , Allan ( 1885 ) . The Spy of the Rebellion : Being a True History of the Spy System of the United States Army During the Late Rebellion . Revealing Many Secrets of the War Hitherto Not Made Public . Compiled from Official Reports Prepared for President Lincoln , General McClellan and the Provost - Marshal - General . M.A. Winter & Company , Publishers . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 26 . Crowdy , Terry ( 2006 ) . The Enemy Within : A History of Espionage . Osprey Publishing . p. 165 . ISBN 9781841769332 . Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 26 . Kate Warne at Find a Grave VIAF : 41290020 LCCN : n2007026131 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kate_Warne&oldid=837868298 '' Categories : 1833 births 1868 deaths American Civil War spies Baltimore Plot Burials at Graceland Cemetery ( Chicago ) Disease - related deaths in Illinois History of Baltimore People from Chemung County , New York People of Maryland in the American Civil War Pinkerton National Detective Agency Private detectives and investigators Women in the American Civil War Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter Articles needing additional references from December 2016 All articles needing additional references Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from December 2016 Articles needing additional references from May 2017 Find a Grave template with ID same as Wikidata Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Date of birth missing Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 23 April 2018 , at 14 : 41 . 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