Haematology Glossary and Definitions

Question 1

What is haemopoeisis / haematopoeisis?

Answer 1

General aspects of blood cell formation

Question 2

What do all blood cells originate from?

Answer 2

Haemopoietic stem cells which reside in the bone marrow and circulate in the blood

Question 3

What does the pluripotent stem cell differentiate into in the bone marrow?

Answer 3

-The myeloid lineage which gives rise to all myeloid cells- erythrocytes and granulocytes
-The lymphoid lineage which gives rise to the development of T and B lymphocytes

Question 4

What are totipotent cells?

Answer 4

-Embryonic stem cells
-Become new cells

-Cells from the inner cell mass of the blasocyst in the early embryo are able to generate all the tissues of the body

Question 5

What is a stem cell?

Answer 5

A cell capable of both replacing itself and giving rise to progeny

Question 6

What is proliferation?

Answer 6

The process of cell growth and cell division leading to the expansion of cell population

Question 7

What is differentiation?

Answer 7

When stem cells give rise to specialised cells

Question 8

What is a pluripotent stem cell?

Answer 8

A stem cell capable of giving rise to various specialised cells e.g haemopoietic stem cell which gives rise to cells of both lymphoid and myeloid lineages

Question 9

What parts of the cell take get stained in a Haematoxylin and Eosin stain?

Answer 9

Haematoxylin - basic take up this
Eosin - acidic take up this

Question 10

What is a common lymphoid progenitor?

Answer 10

A progenitor cell capable of giving rise to all lymphoid cells

Question 11

What is a common myeloid progenitor and what is it also known as?

Answer 11

-Also known as the multipotent myeloid stem cell
-A progenitor cell capable of giving rise to all myeloid cells

Question 12

What does a progenitor cell arise from and what will it give rise to?

Answer 12

-Progenitor cell arise from stem cells in bone marrow and are only recognisable by cell culture techniques

-Progenitor cells will giv erise to microscopically recognised precursor cells

-Progenitor cells aree referred to as Colony Forming Units

Question 13

What is a colony?

Answer 13

A group of cells derived from a single cell when progenitor cells are cultured in vitro

Question 14

What is a CFU?

Answer 14

Colony forming unit - a progenitor cell which can give rise to a colony of cells on invitro culture - also known as colony forming cells

Question 15

What is a CFU-E?

Answer 15

An erythroid progenitor cell that can give rise to a colony of erythroid cells when cultured in vitro

Question 16

What is a CFU-G?

Answer 16

A progenitor cell that can give rise to a colony of granulocyte lineage when cultured in vitro

Question 17

What is a CFU-GM?

Answer 17

A progenitor cell that can give rise to a mixed colony of cells of both granulocyte and monocyte lineages when cultured in vitro

Question 18

What is a CFU-Mega?

Answer 18

A megakaryocyte progenitor cell that can give rise to a colony of cells of megakaryocyte (produce platelets) lineage when cultured in vitro

Question 19

What comes from Megakaryocytes?

Answer 19

Megakaryocytes are the cells from which platelets are produced

Question 20

What is a bust forming unit erythroid (BFU-E)?

Answer 20

An earlier erythroid progenitor cell which gives rise to a number of erythroid colony forming units erythroid (CFU-E) which will eventually result in the production of the mature RBC

Question 21

Why are cell culture techniques used?

Answer 21

In an attempt to recreate the bone marrow environment in a culture dish

Question 22

What are the different assays employed for haemopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells?

Answer 22

Colony forming unit culture assay (CFU-C), Long term culture initiating assay (LTCIC) and repopulation assay

Question 23

Principle of Cell Culture:

Answer 23

-Cells and Tissue are grown in a medium containing nutrients (amino acids, carbs, minerals, salts, growth factors, hormones) and growth factors
-Cells are grown under controlled conditions outside their normal environment (controlled temp, pH, osmotic pressure)
-Growth surface can be as a monolayer or in suspension

Question 24

What can be used as a nutrient source?

Answer 24

Foetal bovine serum

Question 25

Look at cell culture methods slide 25

Question 26

Why do haematological malignancies occur?

Answer 26

e.g leukaemia, lymphoma -generally are as a result of genetic mutations that affect the haematological stem cell or any of its committed progeny such as progenitor cells -stem cells can be harvested from blood or marrow and may be used to treat some patients w haematological malignancies

Question 27

What is a CSF and give an example of this?

Answer 27

Colony stimulating factor ; haemopoietic stimulating or growth factors e.g erythropoietin which is a growth factor for red cell production

Question 28

What is a Cytokine?

Answer 28

A group of low molecular weight soluble proteins that act as messengers within the immune system and between the immune system and other systems regulating process such as Haemopoiesis, inflammatory response, wound healing

Question 29

What are examples of cytokines?

Answer 29

Interleukins, chemokines, interferons

Question 30

What is an interleukin?

Answer 30

A cytokine secreted by one type of leucocyte that has an effect mainly on other leucocytes

Question 31

What compartments do most models of haemopoiesis include?

Answer 31

1. Pluripotent stem cell with the capacity for self renewal 2. Progenitor cells which give rise to different lineages 3. Progenitor cells which give rise to one lineage (these cells all identified by culture techniques)