Red Blood Cells

Question 1

do RBCs have organelles?

Answer 1

no

Question 2

what’s the main job of hemoglobin?

Answer 2

transport O2 in the blood (also a bit of CO2)

Question 3

what is the nutrient at the center of the heme group?

Answer 3

iron

Question 4

where are RBC’s, WBC’s, and platelets made?

Answer 4

Red Bone Marrow

Question 5

if red bone marrow is employed making a ton of either rbcs, wbcs, or platelets, what will happen to the production of the other two types of cells? this is the idea that explains ________ of chronic disease

Answer 5

it will be compromised and become deficient. if the body needs to produce a ton of WBCs for a chronic disease condition, RBC production will be compromised. if the body must produce a ton of RBCs, then WBC production will be compromised

anemia of chronic disease

Question 6

how long do rbc’s typically live? what happens when they are ready to die? where do the end products go

Answer 6

120 days

they get caught in the special capillaries of the spleen and are broken down by macrophages

amino acids and iron get recycled. bilirubin goes to the liver to be eliminated with bile

Question 7

what are the two reasons jaundice might occur?

Answer 7

too much blood is being broken down, the liver can’t keep up

liver is compromised and can’t keep up

Question 8

what is a cbc lab? what is a differential?

Answer 8

complete blood count

differential breaks down WBC counts by type

Question 9

name each thing counted on a CBC
_____ is the percentage of RBC mass per 100ml blood
_____ is total number of RBC
_____ is total Hb (hemoglobin) content of blood
_____ is concentration of Hb per cell
_____ is an indicator of iron levels
_____ is amount of immature RBCs, which indicates level of erythropoietic activity

Answer 9

hematocrit
RBC count
hemoglobin
mean corpuscular hemoglobin
ferritin
reticulocytes

Question 10

what could cause low or high reticulocytes?

Answer 10

low – bone marrow failiure

high – recent and severe blood loss

Question 11

RBC _______ lab checks for size and color of RBCs

Answer 11

indices

Question 12

on an RBC indices lab,
normal levels of hemoglobin are called _______
low levels of hemoglobin are called _______
high levels of hemoglobin are called _______

Answer 12

normochromic
hypochromic
hyperchromic

Question 13

on an RBC indices lab,
normal mean cell volume is called _______
small mean cell volume is called _______
large mean cell volume is called _______

Answer 13

normocytic
microcytic
macrocytic

Question 14

what are the three types of anemias, and which one will result in jaundice?

Answer 14

1. hemorrhagic
2. hemolytic (blood cells not living up to their 120-day life span), resulting in jaundice
3. diminished erythropoiesis

Question 15

what are some acute causes of hemorrhagic anemia

Answer 15

stab wound, spleen rupture

Question 16

what are some chronic causes of hemorrhagic anemia

Answer 16

heavy menses, bleeding ulcer

Question 17

what are some causes of extrinsic hemolytic anemia

Answer 17

venom, malaria, drugs, autoimmune disease (lupus)

Question 18

what are some intrinsic causes of hemolytic anemia

Answer 18

genetic defect of RBC membrane or hemoglobin molecule

Question 19

what are “the usual” signs of anemia?

Answer 19

dry/brittle skin/nail/hair
muscle cramps
dimming of vision
tachycardia/palpitations
fatigue
pale
feeling cold
dull headache
SOB

Question 20

what are the three types of hemolytic anemias

Answer 20

spherocytosis
sickle cell anemia
thalassemia

Question 21

what is it called when a person’s genes code for defective, spherical RBC cytoskeletons? is it autosomal dominant or recessive?

Answer 21

hereditary spherocytosis

dominant

Question 21

what is it called when a person’s genes code for defective, spherical RBC cytoskeletons? is it autosomal dominant or recessive?

Answer 21

hereditary spherocytosis

dominant

Question 22

in addition to “the usual”, what other s/s will come from hereditary spherocytosis?

Answer 22

normally it takes 120 days for RBCs to become spherical, when they become trapped in the spleen and ready for destruction. in this condition, the increased number of cells being destroyed in the spleen can cause

hepatosplenomegaly
jaundice
high risk of iron overload and gallstones

Question 23

in hereditary spherocytosis, what are the labs for the following?
spherocytes
reticulocytes
bilirubin

Answer 23

present
high
high

Question 24

what are the genotypes and phenotypes for sickle cell trait and sickle cell anemia?

Answer 24

trait: Aa (heterozygous) they have a mix of healthy and unhealthy cells. beneficial for malaria anemia: aa (homozygous) no healthy cells

Question 25

what age does sickle cell anemia show up and why?

Answer 25

6 months | this is when fetal hemoglobin wears off

Question 26

in addition to the usual, what are the signs and symptoms of sickle cell anemia?

Answer 26

``` jaundice muscle cramps death of tissue bone pain blockages, hepatosplenomegaly, priapism frequent illness developmental delays ```

Question 27

what things make sickle cell anemia worse?

Answer 27

``` anything that constricts or obstructs blood flow smoking cold dehydration stress ```

Question 28

``` what are the following labs in sickle cell anemia? blood o2 bilirubin reticulocytes MRI of tissues ```

Answer 28

02 low bilirubin high reticulocytes high mri shows necrosis

Question 29

name the 6 types of thalassemia

Answer 29

``` beta thalassemia major beta thalassemia minor alpha thalassemia silent carrier alpha thalassemia trait/minor hemoglobin h disease hydrops fatalis syndrome ```

Question 30

what's the deal with beta thalassemia minor and alpha thalassemia trait/minor

Answer 30

one beta chain is affected and they will have mild anemia symptoms

Question 31

what's the deal with alpha thalassemia silent carrier

Answer 31

no one will really ever know they have it

Question 32

what's the deal with hyrdops fatalis syndrome?

Answer 32

all four alpha chains are fucked and they will die in utero or shortly after birth

Question 33

what's the deal with beta thalassemia major and hemoglobin h disease?

Answer 33

both beta chains affected three of four alpha chains affected ``` severe hemolytic anemia s/s jaundice chipmunk faces bone marrow hypertrophies from producing so many RBCs but can't keep up die around age 30 ```

Question 34

primary vs secondary iron deficiency anemia

Answer 34

primary: not enough iron in the diet secondary: some other thing in the body is causing an absorption or uptake problem

Question 35

in addition to the usual, what are the other symptoms of iron deficiency anemia?

Answer 35

"weird cravings" like chalk and dirt | glossitis

Question 36

``` what are the labs for the following in iron deficiency anemia? size color rbc count hematocrit ferritin ```

Answer 36

``` microcytic hypochromic low low low ```

Question 37

with B12 and ______ deficiency anemia, the red blood mcells are (macro or micro cytic) and why?

Answer 37

folic acid marcocytic because they don't divide enough.

Question 38

in labs for folic acid and b12 deficiency, what size and color will the cells be?

Answer 38

macrocytic | normochromic

Question 39

in addition to the usual, what are the s/s of folic acid and b12 def?

Answer 39

might have mild jaundice because the large rbcs don't last as long sometimes glossitis B12 def can lead to myelin destruction. --> paresthesia, muscle weakness, numbness, tingling pernicious anemia....

Question 40

___________ is an autoimmune condition in which the autoantibodies destroy the ___________ in the lining of the stomach. this leads to a reduction of ____________ and hinders their ability to absorb B12

Answer 40

Pernicious anemia parietal cells intrinsic factor

Question 41

________ is when there's an abnormally high RBC mass.

Answer 41

polycythemia

Question 42

what are the consequences of polycythemia

Answer 42

blood will not circulate well and lead to occlusions | will not supply blood to the tissues properly

Question 43

primary versus secondary polycythemia

Answer 43

primary (vera): a neoplastic condition of the bone marrow, which makes too many blood cells secondary: resulting from another condition (typically hypoxia of heart or lungs)

Question 44

what is the main treatment for polycythemia

Answer 44

bleed the patient