Intro to Blood Flashcards

1
Q
  1. What is the function of blood?
  2. What is blood comprised of?
A
  1. Function: blood conveys
    • nutrients and waste
    • hormones (endocrine)
    • gases: O2 and CO2
  2. Blood is comprised of:
    • ~5% body weight = ~5 L
    • specialized connective tissue (CT)
      • extracellular matrix component = plasma
      • cellular component = RBCs, WBCs, platelets
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2
Q

How can the components of blood be blood separated?

A

Separated into by centrifugation to:

  1. Plasma
  2. Serum
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3
Q

What is the difference between plasma and serum?

A
  1. Plasma:
    • fluid supernatant phase after centrifugation in the presence of heparin (to prevent clotting)
  2. Serum:
    • It is the fluid supernatant phase remaining after clotting, followed by centrifugation to remove clotting factors and blood cells (aka formed elements)
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4
Q

What are the components of plasma?

A
  1. water ~ 90%
  2. protein ~ 10%
    • albumin: keeps blood volume via colloid osmotic pressure
    • globulins: α and β transporters; γ = antibodies
    • clotting proteins, complement, lipoproteins
  3. salts and gases
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5
Q

List the blood cells:

A
  • Erythrocytes (RBCs)
  • Leukocytes (WBCs)
    • Granulocytes
      • neutrophils
      • eosinophils
      • basophils
    • Agranulocytes
      • monocytes
      • lymphocytes
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6
Q

What is a **complete blood count **(CBC)?

What is a differential blood count?

A
  1. complete blood count (CBC):
    • total RBCs and WBCs + additional blood components
  2. **differential blood count: **
    • ​​describes relative numbers of leukocytes
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7
Q

What are the normal differential count values (%)?

A
  • Neutrophils ⇒ 34-71%
  • Lymphocytes ⇒ 19-53%
  • Monocytes ⇒ 5-12%
  • Eosinophils ⇒ 0-7%
  • Basophils ⇒ 0-1%
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8
Q

What are the normal CBC values for:

  1. RBC
  2. WBC
  3. HGB
  4. HCT
A
  1. RBC ⇒ 4.6 - 6.1 x 106/µL
  2. WBC ⇒ 4.0 - 10.0 x 103/µL
  3. HGB ⇒ 13.7 - 17.5 g/dL
  4. HCT ⇒ 40 - 51%
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9
Q

Erythrocytes:

Morphology

A
  • Size: 7.5 µm diameter = “the internal standard size”
  • biconcave disk ⇒ increased surface area for respiration
  • nucleus: mature RBCs have no nucleus
  • cytoplasm: no organelles
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10
Q

What do the erythrocytes carry for respiration?

A

hemoglobin

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11
Q

What is the appearance of hemoglobin (stain)?

How is hemoglobin structured?

A
  • hemoglobin (Hb) = 33% = intense eosinophilia
  • tetramer: α, β, χ, δ subunits
    • fetal = HbF = α2χ2 (until end of pregnancy)
    • adult = HbA = α2β2
  • oxyhemoglobin = Hb + O2
  • carboxyhemoglobin = Hb + CO2
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12
Q

What is the role of carbonic anhydrase?

A

carbonic anhydrase: CO2 ⇒ carbonic acid ⇒ HCO3-

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13
Q

Describe the red blood cell plasma membrane:

A

The RBC plasma membrane is well-characterized

  • integral proteins: span the lipid bilayer
    • band 3: anion transporter which exports HCO3- and binds ankyrin
      • to maintain biconcave shape by ‘anchoring’ to the subplasmalemmal network
  • RBC’s outer membrane contains antigens
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14
Q

What is the consequence of mutations in RBC plasma membrane proteins?

A
  • Mutations in proteins that maintain the biconcave shape of RBCs cause spherocytosis
    • RBCs are spherical, causing problems in RBC distribution and turnover
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15
Q

Describe the anitgens in the RBC outer membrane:

A

constitute blood group systems:

  • common ABO blood group is conferred by
    carbohydrate antigens A and B
  • Rh group is conferred by presence (+) or absence
    (-) of RH protein
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16
Q

ABO blood groups:

A
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17
Q

What is the normal lifespan of a RBC?

A

120 days

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18
Q

What is the indication of abnormal RBC values?

A
  • A lower than normal RBC count ⇒ anemia
  • An hematocrit value >55% indicates:
    • polycythemia (increased RBC #)
    • erythrocytosis (increased RBC mass)
19
Q

What is the consequence of a mutation in the β-chain of hemoglobin?

A
  • β thalassemia:
    • β chain gene is mutated and protein is hence not made; affected adults have HbF instead of HbA
  • sickle cell anemia:
    • β-globin mutation: glutamic acid (GAA) ⇒ valine (GTA)
20
Q

What is the function and location of leukocytes?

A
  • **Location: **
    • pass thru** peripheral blood** toward their working destination which is in the tissue spaces of the body.
  • Leukocytes:
    • move thru tissues via diapedesis
    • function to defend against foreign invaders
    • adult number = 4.0-10 x 103/µl in peripheral blood; higher at birth
21
Q

What are granulocytes?

What sets them apart from other leukocytes?

A
  • All cells have ‘granules’, usually granules are lysosomes
  • Granulocytes, in addition, have “specific”granules
    • specific granules denote the names of the granular leukocytes
22
Q

Define neutrophils:

A
  • syn = polymorphonuclear leukocytes
  • specific granules have ‘neutral’ staining
    • neither eosinophilic or basophilic
  • Nucleus is segmented
23
Q

Neutrophils:

  • % of WBCs:
  • Size:
  • Major function:
  • Lifespan:
A
  • % of WBCs: 34 - 71%
  • Size: ~12 µm diameter
  • Major function: kill bacteria
    • release of specific granules ⇒ degrade the extracellular matrix ⇒ ultimately degrade the bacteria
    • phagocytize the bacteria
    • Neutrophils kill bacteria by releasing hydrolytic enzymes to create a respiratory burst, initiated by NADPH oxidase
  • Lifespan:
    • few days
24
Q

What is the consequence of a mutation in the NADPH oxidase gene?

A

persistent bacterial infections

25
Q

Define Eosinophils:

A
  • Specific granules are reddish (i.e. eosinophilic) and large (~1.0 µm), with a crystalloid center that contains major basic protein
  • Nucleus is bi-lobed
26
Q

Eosinophils:

  • % of WBCs:
  • Size:
  • Major function:
  • Lifespan:
A
  • % of WBCs: 0 - 7%
  • Size: > 12 µm diameter
  • Major function:
    • kill parasites via major basic protein
    • phagocytize Ab:Ag complexes
    • secrete leukotrienes
  • Lifespan: ~2 weeks
27
Q

There is a high incidence of eosinophils in ….

A

**parasitic infections **and asthma

28
Q

What is the contribution of eosinophils to symptoms in an asthmatic patient?

A
  • In asthma, leukotrienes recruit eosinophils to the lungs and induce them to manufacture more leukotrienes, which in turn causes:
    1. blood vessel leakiness ⇒ edema
    2. bronchiolar cells ⇒ constriction of airway
    3. mucous glands ⇒ mucus buildup
29
Q

Define basophils:

A
  • Nucleus is irregular, obscured by granules.
  • Basophil specific granules contain heparin and histamine
30
Q

Basophils:

  • % of WBCs:
  • Size:
  • Lifespan:
A
  • % of WBCs: ~0 - 1%
  • Size: > 12 µm diameter
  • Lifespan: long-lived, few years (memory)
31
Q

How are basophils similar to mast cells?

A

Basophil/mast cell function:

  1. An antigen invades
  2. …causing a plasma cell to make immunoglobulin E (IgE)
  3. IgE binds to the IgE-Receptor on the basophil/mast cell membrane, where it remains, until…
  4. …later in life, when the same antigen is re-introduced, it immediately binds the IgE on the basophil/mast cell membrane.
  5. releases its specific granules – histamine
  6. releases leukotrienes:
    • rapidly causes BV leakiness, which can cause circulatory shock, and bronchiolar constriction, causing respiratory insufficiency
32
Q

Monocytes:

  • % of WBCs:
  • Size:
  • Nucleus:
  • Major function:
  • Lifespan:
A
  • % of WBCs: 5 - 12%
  • Size: ~ 15 µm
  • Nucleus: indented, horseshoe-shaped
  • Major function:
    • migrate into tissue ⇒ differentiate into macrophages ⇒ phagocytosis
    • Macrophages known as antigen-presenting cells ‘present’ phagocytosed
      antigens to lymphocytes during an immune response
  • Lifespan: several months
33
Q

Which tissues are these cells in?

  • dust cell ⇒
  • histiocyte ⇒
  • Kupffer cell ⇒
  • microglia ⇒
  • osteoclast ⇒
  • sinusoidal lining cell ⇒
A
  • dust cell ⇒ lung
  • histiocyte ⇒ CT
  • Kupffer cell ⇒ liver
  • microglia ⇒ CNS
  • osteoclast ⇒ bone
  • sinusoidal lining cell ⇒ spleen

Note: these are all macrophages

34
Q

Lymphocytes:

  • % of WBCs:
  • Size:
  • Types:
  • Major function:
A
  • % of WBCs: 19 - 53%
  • Size: variable depending on level of activity
    • most in peripheral blood are < 10 µm
  • Types: B & T lymphocytes
  • Major function:
    • complementary function, defending against foreign invaders and cancer cells
    • These cells have immunologic memory
      • each responds to only 1 single antigen
35
Q

Lymphocytes

  • _____ predominant in peripheral blood (~80%)
  • _____ differentiate into plasma cells ⇒ ________
A
  • T cells predominant in peripheral blood (~80%)
  • B cells differentiate into plasma cells ⇒ antibodies
36
Q

What eventually turn into platelets?

A

megakaryocytes

37
Q

Platelets:

  • Size:
  • Morphology:
  • Major function:
A
  • Size: small, ~ 2 µm; 300,000/µl (mcL)
  • granulomere = dark central region with granules containing clotting factors and growth factors such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)
  • hyalomere = peripheral light region with parallel microtubules
  • platelet membrane has receptors
38
Q

Thrombocytopenia means ….

A

too few platelets (< 50,000/µL)

39
Q

What is this?

A

Lymphocyte

40
Q

What is this?

A

Eosinophil

41
Q

What is this?

A

Neutrophil

42
Q

What is this?

A

Monocyte

43
Q

What is this?

A

Basophil

44
Q

What is this?

A

Platelet