Blood components

Question 1

Name the components making up the blood

Answer 1

Erythrocytes,
Leucocytes
platelets(Thrombocytes),
plasma with nutrients gases hormones and antibodies,

Question 2

Where are blood cells made from

Answer 2

Bone marrow

Question 3

Name the types of WBC in the blood

Answer 3

Granular:
Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils

Agranular :
Lymphocyte
Monocyte

Question 4

What are platelets ?

Answer 4

Small nuclear fragments of megakaryocyte cells in bone marrow
They have organelles
Play major role in blood clotting

Question 5

How to identify a neutrophil on a slide

Answer 5

neutral granules on slides and multi lobed nucleus

Question 6

Identify the blood component from this slide

Answer 6

Question 7

How to identify a eosinophil on a slide

Answer 7

pink/orange granules with bi-lobed nucleus

much larger than RBC

Question 8

How to identify a basophil on a slide

Answer 8

blue/purple granules with bi/tri-lobed nucleus

Question 9

How to identify lymphocytes on a slide

Answer 9

Lymphocytes have very large nuclei (not lobed) and little cytoplasm; they are not much larger that RBCs

Question 10

How to identify a monocyte on a slide

Answer 10

Monocytes have kidney bean shaped nuclei and no granules

twice the size of RBCs

Question 11

Neutrophil function

Answer 11

Leave circulatory system in response to tissue damage

remove damage tissues and kill invading organisms via phagocytosis

increased in bacterial infection and inflammation

Question 12

Eosinophil function

Answer 12

Elevated in allergic reactions and in parasitic infection

Question 13

Basophil function

Answer 13

Phagocytosis

produce heparin(blood thinner) and histamine (increase permeability of capillaries)

Question 14

Lymphocyte function

Answer 14

Make antibodies

increased in viral infection

Question 15

Monocyte function

Answer 15

Phagocytosis

rarely elevated (usually in TB infections)

in tissue called macrophage

Question 16

What things does a blood analysis tell us ?

Answer 16

Haematocrit (proportion of RBC)

ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) rate at which RBC settle to bottom of test tube

total amount of Hb in blood

mean cell Hb (MCH)

mean cell volume (MCV)

mean cell Hb conc in a given vol of RBC (MCHC)

Question 17

What can a high hematocrit tell us

Answer 17

Dehydration

Question 18

What can a low hematocrit tell us

Answer 18

Anemia

Question 19

What can low Hb levels tell is

Answer 19

Anemia or blood loss

Question 20

What is a low WBC count called

what can this tell us

Answer 20

Leukopenia

bone marrow failure e.g. due to radiation

Question 21

What is a high number of WBCs called

what can be causing this

Answer 21

Leukocytosis

infection/inflammation/leukaemia

Question 22

What can blood tests tell us

Answer 22

Health of internal organs by detecting presence of proteins/enzymes liberated from dead tissue (necrosis)

blood counts - cells per volume, haematocrit, Hb per litre, MCV, mean corpuscular Hb (MCH) , MCHC

Question 23

How is acute inflammation shown in a blood test result

Answer 23

Increased concentrations of acute phase plasma proteins

fibringone

C reactive protein (CRP)

serum amyloid (SAA)

Question 24

Symptoms of acute inflammation

Answer 24

Fever

reduced appetite

increased fatigue

increased neutrophil production

Question 25

What is the ESR a measurement of ?

Answer 25

Conc of fibrinogen in the blood

Question 26

Where does haematopoiesis occur

Answer 26

Initially in the yolk sac then embryonic liver and spleen after birth, occurs in bone marrow in healthy adults, restricted to proximal long bones, ribs, sternum, pelvis and vertebrae

Question 27

What happens when haematopoiesis in the bone marrow is compromised in an adult ?

Answer 27

Enlargement of spleen and liver ; they attempt to take over the role of the bone marrow this is called hepatosplenomegaly

Question 28

Desribe haematopoiesis

Answer 28

Multi potential hematopoietic stem cells → myeloid / lymphoid progenitor myeloid progenitor → erythrocytes , granulocytic series (neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, eosinophils, basophils), and megakaryocytes which form platelets lymphoid progenitor → T/B cells, natural killer cells

Question 29

What is a leukaemia

Answer 29

Malignancy of none marrow, more specifically caused by a malignancy of the immature haematopoietic cells increased number of leucocytes in blood results malignatn cells can either be myeloid or lymphoid can be acute (aggressive) or chronic (causing little pain)

Question 30

What are the 4 types of leukaemia

Answer 30

Acute myeloid acute lymphoid chronic myeloid chronic lymphoid

Question 31

Acute leukaemias are characterised by

Answer 31

Increased immature cells in bone marrow short survival if untreated bone marrow failure because normal production of cells is overwhelmed by rapidly growing malignant cells

Question 32

Clinical features of acute leukaemias

Answer 32

Reduced production of RBCs = anemia * breathlessness, dizziness, fatigue, paleness reduced production of mature myeloid cells = susceptible to bacterial/fungal infection low platelet count = bleeding

Question 33

What are the different plasma proteins and what are their functions

Answer 33

Albumins (transport of useful substances, colloidal osmotic pressure - keeps fluid in blood so doesn't leak into tissue) globulins - transport, clotting, precursor to hormones, defence agaisnt pathogens fibrinogen plays a major role in clotting

Question 34

What is blood serum

Answer 34

Coagulated plasma Liquid in blood without any proteins

Question 35

What is the lifespan of RBCs

Answer 35

120 days

Question 36

How is WBC production controlled

Answer 36

Colony stimulating factors act on stem cells in the neutrophil cell line of the bone marrow to cause and increase of WBC production they are released by infected body cells interleukins also play a role

Question 37

How to calculate mean corpuscular volume

Answer 37

Haematocrit/number of RBC per litre

Question 38

How to calculate mean corpuscular Hb

Answer 38

Hb(g per L)/RBC per L

Question 39

Mean corpuscular Hb concentration

Answer 39

Hb/haematocrit

Question 40

What is macrolytic anemia

Answer 40

Enlarged RBCs with impaired haem production deficit of DNA synthesis

Question 41

What is microcytic anemia

Answer 41

Smaller than normal RBCs and insufficient Hb

Question 42

What do the suffixes -Philia , -Penia and -cytosis mean ?

Answer 42

- philia = increased neutrophil count - penia = decreased neutrophil count - cytosis = increased count

Question 43

What does pancytopenia mean ?

Answer 43

Reduction in all cell counts

Question 44

Causes of neutrophilia

Answer 44

Bacterial / fungal infection trauma inflammation

Question 45

Causes of neutropenia

Answer 45

Viral/malarial infection drugs

Question 46

Causes of lymphocytosis

Answer 46

Bacterial / viral infection lymphoma (cancer of lymphatic system)

Question 47

Causes of lymphopenia

Answer 47

Inflammation lymphoma steroids

Question 48

What blood group is used as the universal donor for emergencies ?

Answer 48

O Rh negative

Question 49

Importance of rhesus antibodies in pregnancy

Answer 49

If mother and baby are not both +ve, haemolytic disease can occur This can be prevented by giving mother anti-D immunisation