7. Basic Blood

Question 1

What is blood serum?

Answer 1

Blood plasma without clotting factors

Question 2

Where is blood albumin produced?

What two functions does blood albumin perform?

Answer 2

The liver

It is the major source of colloid osmotic pressure, and serves as a carrier protien.

Question 3

What are Reticulocytes?

What are their characteristics?

Answer 3

Immature blood cells

Still have organelles and nuclear material

(They mature in 24 to 48 hours)

Question 4

What is Glycophorin C?

Answer 4

An erythrocyte integral membrane protien that attaches the erythrocyte’s cytoskeleton to its cell membrane.

Question 5

What does Band 3 protein do?

Answer 5

Binds hemoglobin and helps anchor cytoskeletal protiens along with Glycophorin C.

Question 6

What protien holds the sugar that gives blood types?

Answer 6

Glycophorin C

Question 7

What is the most abundant erythrocyte cytoskeletal protien?

Answer 7

Band 3 Protien

Question 8

What is the erythrocyte’s lattice composed of?

Answer 8

alpha-spectrin and beta-spectrin

Question 9

What two complexes anchor spectrin filaments in an erythrocyte, and what protiens do they associate with?

Answer 9

Band 4.1 protien complex anchors spectrin filaments and interacts with Glycophorin C

Ankyrin protien complex (Ankyrin + Band 4.2) anchors spectrin filaments, and interacts with Band 3.

Question 10

Dietary deficiency of what three nutrients can interfere with RBC production?

Answer 10

Iron, B12, Folate

Question 11

For Hereditary Spherocytosis:

What is the inheritance pattern?

What proteins are affected?

What is the result?

Answer 11

Autosomal Dominant

Ankryn Complex (Band 3, 4.2, spectrin and others)

Defective anchoring causes membrane to detach and form a sphere.

Question 12

For Hereditary Elliptocytosis:

What is the inheritance pattern?

What proteins are affected?

What is the result?

Answer 12

Autosomal Dominant

Spectrin-Spectrin bonds are defective; along with spectrin-ankryn-band 4.1 protien junctions.

Membrane doesn’t rebound and progressively squshes. You get long elliptical erythrocytes.

Question 13

Which hemoglobin is affected in Sickle Cell Anemia?

Answer 13

Hemoglobin A

Question 14

How quickly do “sickled” RBC’s breakdown?

Answer 14

After about 20 days.

Question 15

Why might obstruction occur in sickle cell anemia?

Answer 15

The sickle cells pile up in small capillaries.

Question 16

Which of the white blood cell types are Granulocytes?

Answer 16

Neutrophils, Eosinophils, Basophils

Granulocytes give me all the feels

Question 17

What is the order for the amounts of each WBC type?

Answer 17

Neutrophils, Leukocytes, Monocytes, Eosinophils, Basophils

Never Let Monkeys Eat Bananas

Question 18

What are the three granules in a Neutrophil, and their function?

Answer 18

1. Azurophilic Granules (primary granules)

Lysosomes containing myeloperoxidase (MPO)

2. Specific Granules (secondary granules):

Various enzymes, compliment activators, and antimicrobial peptides

3. Tertiary Granules

Phosphatases and Metalloproteinases (metalloproteinases facilitate migration through connective tissues)

Question 19

What is the visual identifier for a Neutrophil?

Answer 19

Polymorphonucleation (Multi lobed nucleus)

No / light granules in the cytosol

Question 20

What is the function of Eosinophils?

Answer 20

Release of arylsulfatase and histaminase

Phagocytosis of Antigen-Antibody complexes

Fight parasites (such as helminths)

Question 21

What white blood cell may be elevated in the case of chronic allergies, and what is this state called?

Answer 21

Eosinophils / Eosinophillia

Question 22

How might one identify an Eosinophil visually?

Answer 22

Very granular, with a bi-lobar nucleus and pink / red granules.

Question 23

What is the function of a Basophil?

Answer 23

Binds Antigen-IgE antibody complex

Functionally related to Mast Cells

Releases vasoactive agents

Plays a role in allergic hypersensitivity and anaphylaxis

Question 24

How might one visually recognize a Basophil?

Answer 24

It looks like 100% granules. Sometimes you can see the bilobar nucleus, but it’s mostly covered in granules.

Question 25

What are the three types of Lymphocytes and their characteristics?

Answer 25

T Lymphocytes: Undergo differentiation in the thymus, have a long life span, are associated with cell mediated immunity.

B Lymphocytes: Differentiate in the bone marrow, transform into plasma cells and make antibodies.

Natural Killer Cells: Programmed to kill virus infected or tumor cells.

Question 26

How might one visually identify a lymphocyte?

Answer 26

Large, single, central nucleus.

Question 27

What is the function of Monocytes?

Answer 27

Contain Azurophilic granules; like neutrophils

Differentiate into phagocytes in the tissues - including Osteoclasts, Kupffer cells of the liver, and the macrophages of connective tissue, lymph, spleen and bone marrow.

Question 28

How might one visually identify a monocyte?

Answer 28

Kidney-shaped indented nucleus, no granules.

Question 29

What causes a monocyte to undergo diapedesis?

Answer 29

Inflammation

Question 30

What are thrombocytes derived from?

What is their life span?

Answer 30

Megakaryocytes: they are bits of cytoplasm from that cell.

They have a life span of 10 days.

Question 31

What are the functions of thrombocytes to control bleeding?

Answer 31

Release of serotonin (a vasoconstrictor)

Release of ADP and Thromboxane A₂: Function to increase platelet aggregaton and helps to form the primary hemostatic plug

Provide a surface for conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. (This forms the secondary hemostatic plug)

Question 32

What is the normal RBC percentage for a male?

What about for a female?

Answer 32

39-50% for Males

35-45% for Females

(This will probably be provided on a test, but it may be worth knowing)

Question 33

What are alpha and beta globulins?

What is their function?

Answer 33

They are non-immune globulins

They help maintain the osmotic pressure within the vascular system (along with albumin) and serve as carrier protiens.