B4 Haematopoesis

Question 1

What is spectrin?

Answer 1

A cytoskeleton that forms a scaffold maintaining the integrity and shape of the RBC membrane

Question 2

What is ankyrin?

Answer 2

A protein responsible for anchoring in channels to spectrin skeleton of RBC

Question 3

What is a band 4.1 protein?

Answer 3

A protein with a key role in regulating membrane stability

Question 4

What is a band 3 protein?

Answer 4

A protein responsible for exchanging chloride and bicarbonate ions across RBC membranes.

Question 5

What is another term for a band 3 protein?

Answer 5

Anion Exchanger 1

Question 6

How does band 4.1 protein work?

Answer 6

Stabilises spectin-actin cytoskeleton interactions which form the RBC membrane skeleton.

Question 7

What can band 4.1 protein mutations lead to?

Answer 7

Anaemia and spherocytosis

Question 8

What protein has a key role in CO2 uptake by RBCs?

Answer 8

Band 3 protein

Question 9

How much of the cell membrane surface does band 3 protein take up?

Answer 9

25%

Question 10

How many new RBCs are made in the bone marrow per second?

Answer 10

2.4 X 10 to the power of 6

Question 11

How long is the life span of RBCs?

Answer 11

100-200 days

Question 12

What is the role of macrophages in the spleen?

Answer 12

Removal of damaged red blood cells

Question 13

What growth factor mediates erythropoesis?

Answer 13

Erythropoietin -EPO

Question 14

How to RBCs principally derive energy?

Answer 14

The metabolism of glucose to lactate

Question 15

What are the key features of RBCs?

Answer 15

Biconcave shape
No nucleus
Contain Hb

Question 16

Why do people with specific blood types reject other blood types?

Answer 16

They have antibodies against all the other blood types (excluding group O)