Blood Composition Flashcards
What are red blood cells called?
Erythrocytes
What do red blood cells do?
Pick up oxygen from lungs and distribute it to other tissues
Pick up CO2 from other tissues and unload at lungs
What are white blood cells called?
Leucocytes
What do white blood cells do?
Pick up and destroy infectious organisms that could be harmful
What are the different types of white blood cells called?
Neutrophils (granulocytes)
Lymphocytes (agranulocytes)
Monocytes (agranulocytes)
What do neutrophils do?
B- type cells that produce antibodies
What do lymphocytes do?
T- type cells that can destroy viruses and cancer cells
What do monocytes do?
Removes dead cells and bacteria
What is plasma?
What does it do?
Its a light yellow liquid which makes up around 50% of your blood.
Transports dissolved nutrients, hormones and proteins around the body, includes oxygen and glucose.
What are platelets?
What do they do?
Tiny blood cells that help your body form clots to stop bleeding. If one of your blood vessels gets damaged, it sends out signals to the platelets. The platelets then rush to the site of damage and form a plug (clot) to fix the damage.
