B4.1 - Blood (Finished)

Question 1

What is plasma? What is its function?

Answer 1

Plasma (yellow liquid) it transports all of your blood cells and some other substances around the body

Question 2

What are red blood cells? What are their function?

Answer 2

Red blood cells pick up oxygen from the air in your lungs and carry it to the cells where it is needed

Question 3

What are the different component of blood?

Answer 3

• Plasma
• Red blood cells
• White blood cells
• Platelets

Question 4

Describe the structure of a white blood cell. What are they for?

Answer 4

White blood cells are much bigger than red blood cells, there are fewer of them than red blood cells and they have a nucleus. They form part of the bodies defence system against harmful microorganisms.

Question 5

Give 2 examples of what plasma transports

Answer 5

• Blood cells
• Waste co2 produced by cells
• Urea from the liver by the breakdown of excess proteins
• The small, solvable products of digestion

Question 6

How does being bioconcave (pushed in) help red blood cells?

Answer 6

It gives them a larger surface area to volume ratio for diffusion to occur

Question 7

What three adaptions do red blood cells have?

Answer 7

• Being biconcave disks
• Being packed with haemoglobin
• Having no nucleus

Question 8

What does haemoglobin do? Why do red blood cells have no nucleus?

Answer 8

Haemoglobin is a red pigment that binds to oxygen to let red blood cells transport it. Having no nucleus means more space for haemoglobin.

Question 9

What two types of white blood cell are there?

Answer 9

Lymphocytes and phagocytes

Question 10

What are platelets and what are they for?

Answer 10

Platelets are small fragments of cells. They have no nucleus and are very important in helping the blood to clot at the site of a wound.

Question 11

Blood clots are _____-controlled?

Answer 11

enzyme

Question 12

How do platelets work?

Answer 12

1) enzyme controlled reactions convert fibrinogen to fibrin
2) This produces a network of protein fibres that capture more red blood cells and platelets
3) This forms a jelly like clot to stop bleeding
4) The clot dries and hardens to form a scab protecting new growing skin and stopping bacteria from entering through the wound

Question 13

What does plasma transport?

Answer 13

Waste Carbon Dioxide from the cells is carried to the lungs to be exhaled
Urea formed in the liver from the breakdown of excess proteins is carried to your kidneys where where it is removed from your blood by urine.
The small soluble products from digestion is passed through your small intestine and taken to the cells of the body.

Question 14

What is made in the lungs when haemoglobin binds to oxygen?

Answer 14

Oxyhaemoglobin