BLOOD (Week 1)

Question 1

What is blood?

Answer 1

Blood is the vehicle for long-distance, mass transport of materials between the cells and external environment or between the cells themselves, this is essential for maintaining homeostasis. It consists of a complex liquid plasma in which the cellular elements are suspended

Question 2

What are Erythrocytes/Red blood cells?

Answer 2

Plasma membrane-enclosed bags of haemoglobin that transport O2 in the blood

Question 3

What are Leukocytes/White blood cells?

Answer 3

The immune system’s mobile defence units that are transported in the blood to sites of injury or invasion by disease-causing microorganisms

Question 4

What is the function of Platelets/Thrombocytes?

Answer 4

Important in hemostasis (the stopping of bleeding from an injured vessel)

Question 5

What are the statistics of Total Body Water (TBW)?

Answer 5

• TBW = 60% body weight
• INTRACELLULAR FLUID = 40% body weight
• EXTRACELLULAR FLUID = 20% body weight
• EXTRACELLULAR FLUID = Interstitial fluid + Plasma

Question 6

What are the different Granulocytes?

Answer 6

• Basophil
• Neutrophil
• Eosinophil

Question 7

What are the components of Plasma and their functions?

Answer 7

• WATER = Acts as a transport medium & carries heat
• ELECTROLYTES = Important in membrane excitability, distribute fluid by osmosis between ECF and ICF and buffer pH changes
• NUTRIENTS, WASTES, GASES & HORMONES = Transported in blood & plays a role in acid-base balance
• PLASMA PROTEINS = Exert an osmotic effect important in the distribution of the ECF between the VASCULAR and INTERSTITIAL COMPARTMENTS & buffer pH changes
• ALBUMINS = Transport many substances & contribute to COLLOID OSMOTIC PRESSURE
• GLOBULINS [ALPHA & BETA] = Transport many water-insoluble substances including CLOTTING FACTORS & inactive PRECURSOR MOLECULES
• GLOBULINS [GAMMA] = Antibodies
• FIBRINOGEN = Inactive precursor for a clot’s fibrin meshwork

Question 8

What are the cellular elements components & their functions?

Answer 8

• ERYTHROCYTES = Transport O2 and CO2
• LEUKOCYTES [NEUTROPHILS] = Engulf bacteria and debris
• LEUKOCYTES [EOSINOPHILS] = Attack parasitic worms & play a role in allergic reactions
• LEUKOCYTES [BASOPHILS] = Release HISTAMINE important in ALLERGIC REACTIONS
• MONOCYTES = In transit to become tissue macrophages
• B LYMPHOCYTES = Produce antibodies
• T LYMPHOCYTES = Produce cell-mediated immune responses
• PLATELETS = Contribute to hemostasis

Question 9

What is the Blood Plasma?

Answer 9

A yellow liquid component of blood that holds the blood cells in whole blood in suspension

Question 10

What is the composition of blood after centrifugation?

Answer 10

• Plasma = 55%
• White blood cells = 1%
• Platelets = 1%
• Red blood cells = 45%

Question 11

What are the functions of Blood plasma?

Answer 11

• TRANSPORT
• INTRAVASCULAR OSMOTIC EFFECT that keeps electrolyte concentration balanced
• Protects body from INFECTION and OTHER BLOOD DISORDERS

Question 12

What are the functions of Plasma proteins?

Answer 12

• Dispersed as a COLLOID & are LARGE so do not exit through NARROW CAPILLARY WALLS to enter interstitial fluid so establish an OSMOTIC GRADIENT between the blood and interstitial fluid. This prevents excessive loss of plasma thus helps maintain PLASMA VOLUME.
• Buffer changes in pH
• ALBUMINS contribute extensively to COLLOID OSMOTIC PRESSURE due to abundance & non-specifically bind substances that are poorly soluble in plasma for transport in plasma
• ALPHA & BETA GLOBULINS bind poorly water-soluble substances for transport SPECIFICALLY, involved in BLOOD CLOTTING & some are inactive precursor molecules activated by regulatory inputs
• GAMMA GLOBULINS are ANTIBODIES
• FIBRINOGEN is a key factor in BLOOD CLOTTING

Question 13

What are the three types of Plasma proteins?

Answer 13

• Albumins
• Globulins
• Fibrinogen

Question 14

What are the subclasses of globulins?

Answer 14

• Alpha
• Beta
• Gamma