LAB 2: BLOOD

Question 1

WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF BLOOD?

Answer 1

• transport: transports gasses, hormones, nutrients and wastes
  -regulation: regulates ph (7.34-3.45), temperature, and maintains adequate fluid volume
• protection: protects using antibodies, complement proteins, and leukocytes

Question 2

WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF BLOOD

Answer 2

Plasma and formed elements (erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets)

Question 3

EXPLAIN PLASMA

Answer 3

• Makes up 55% of whole blood
• is a straw coloured sticky fluid
• is 90% water and 10% dissolved solutes (mainly plasma proteins)

the most abundant plasma proteins are
- albumin: helps transports molecules and acts as a buffer, is 60% of all plasma proteins
- globulin: is an immune modulator and transport protein. is 37% of plasma proteins
- fibrinogen: assists with blood clotting

Question 4

BREIFLY EXPLAIN THE FORMED ELEMENTS

Answer 4

Erythrocytes: make up 45% of the whole blood, is the most dense component. contains hemoglobin that helps with O2 transport. when oxygenated it is scarlet red, when deoxygenated it is dull red

leukocytes : makes up 1% of whole blood, primary function is defense against invaders in the body, like fungi, parasites, bacteria, and viruses. they may attacl directly, use antibodiess, or use chemical signals to trigger other cells to fight it

platelets: most important function is to limit blood loss via. hemostasis. there are around 150k-160k platelets in circulaiton, and a third of them go to the spleen for storage untill they need to be used. they only remain for about 10 days before they are phagocytized by macrophages. are fragments of megakaryocytes.

Question 5

WHAT ARE SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF ERYTHROCYTES

Answer 5

• they carry O2 to tissues and Co2 and wastes back to the liver and lungs.
• they have no nuclei or organelles, this is to make space for hemoglobin (roughly 300 million/RBC). they are also the most numerous formed element.
• females: 4-5L
• males= 5-6L
  ph= 7.34-7.45

Question 6

WHAT ARE SOME DISEASES REGARDING ERYTHROCYTES

Answer 6

• ANEMIA: occurs when RBC’s or hemoglobin is defficent. It can be causes by blood loss, overproduciton of immature RBC, excessive destruction of RBC. you can have a normal hematocrit and still be anemic because of faulty hemoglobin.
• blood loss: can be caused by hemorrhoids, menstration, childbirth, excessive use of ibuprofin and asprin, inflammation of stomach/cancer.
• faulty RBC: sickle cell anemia, iron-deficieny anemia (most common), vitamin dificency anmeia

POLYCYTHEMIA: high levels of RBC, can occur when in high altitudes or or are dehydrated
- polycythemia vera: overproduction of immature RBC’s.

Question 7

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF LEUKOCYTES

Answer 7

• they are less numerous and larger than RBC’s. there are many types of leukocytes and have a very short lifespan (can be hours to even minutes) they have very distinct movements
• diapedesis: Is how WBC’S leave the capillaries, squeeing through adjacent cells of the vessel wall
• amoeboid motion: is how they move in the tissues
• positive chemotaxis: the attraction of leukocytes using chemical signals

Question 8

NAME THE GRANULOCYTE LEUKOCYES

Answer 8

• Neutrophils: are the most numerous leukocyte, contain many lobes that increase with age, stain best with neutral dyes. main function is phagocytizing invaders in the body. 50-70%
• eiosinophils: stain best with acidic dye eosin, granules appear red. they release toxic enzymes that attack large parasitic worms that are too large to be phagocytized. granules also release antihistamines, so thse cells are common to see when there are allergies or asthma. too many eosinophils can be reffered to as eosinophilia. 2-4%. have an earmuff appearance.
• basophils: is the least numeous leukocyte. < 1%. contain 2 lobes and have dark purple granules, stain best with basic (alkaline) dyes. they release histamine and heparin. high acounts of them associated with allergies, asthma, parasitic worm infection, hypothyroidism. low counts associated with hyperthyroidism, pregnancy, and stress.

Question 9

DESCRIBE THE AGRANULOCYTE LEUKOCYTES

Answer 9

• lymphocytes: are the second most numerous leukocyte, 25-45%. are the only leukocyte that comes from lymphoid stem cells (still initially formed in Red bone marrow. there are 3 types of lymphocytes
• B- lymphocytes: make antibodies
• T-lymphocytes: physically attack foreign or diseased cells
• Natural killer (NK) cells: recognize cells that dont’t have self proteins or antigens on plasma membrane, ex. tumor and cells infected with virus
• monocytes: are the largest leukocyte, are refered to as macrophages when they leave circulation. they phagocytize foreign pathogens or worn out erythrocytes. some occupy fixed locations and others move around. high counts associated with fungal infection, viral infection tuberculosis, and leukemia, low counts associated with supression of bone marrow.

Question 10

WHAT ARE SOME DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH LEUKOCYTES

Answer 10

leukopenia: abnormally low leukocyte levels
leukocytosis: high leukocyte levels, normal response to infection
leukemia: increase of abnormal leukocytes, can by myelocytic or lymphocytic.