Blood cells Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is the function of red blood cells (erythrocyte)?
to carry oxygen
What is the structure of red blood cells?
- don’t have a nucleus
- biconcave
- disk shape
Why are red blood cells biconcave?
it increases surface area and so allows more oxygen to be carried
What is significant about the disk shape of the red blood cells?
it allows more cells to be stacked together and allows for flexibility and movement through vessels of different shapes and sizes.
What do red blood cells contain in the cytoplasm?
cytoplasm mainly contains haemoglobin molecules
In high levels of oxygen, what does the haemoglobin bond with?
haemoglobin bonds with oxygen to form oxy-haemoglobin.
What is oxy-haemoglobin?
it is the form in which oxygen is circulated around the body.
What happens when oxy-haemoglobin travels to tissues with low oxygen levels?
The bond between the oxygen molecules and haemoglobin break and oxygen diffuses out of the blood into the fluid surrounding the cells.
what is the function of white blood cells?
They help to defend the body from disease and infection.
What is the structure of white blood cells?
- amoeboid-shaped
( can change shape)
-have a large nucleus
Do all white blood cells have the same shape nucleus?
No, there are many different types of blood cells, each has a different shaped nucleus.
What do amoeboid shaped cells do?
they destroy and consume invading bacteria.
What does HIV do?
it attacks and destroys your white blood cells.
How does HIV affect the body?
It is an auto immune disease, as it attacks you white blood cells hence weakening your immune system and making your more susceptible to getting ill.
what is pus?
It is a war between invading pathogens and your white blood cells
What is the function of platelets?
they assist in the blood clotting process.
What is the structure of platelets?
The are cells fragments that have broken off from specialized cells in the bone marrow.
what is the clotting process?
- when platelets encounter damaged blood vessels, they break open and release chemicals called clotting factors into the blood.
- factors help platelets stick together to form a platelet plug.
- blood proteins(fibrins) then form fibers around the platelet plug
- these fibers form a mesh, trapping blood cells to prevent them from passing through the damaged blood vessel.
