Basic Blood Flashcards
What does blood consist of?
Erythrocytes
Leukocytes
Thrombocytes
Protein-rich fluid - plasma
What is hematocrit?
What are the %s for males and females?
The volume of RBCs in a sample of blood
39-50% male
35-45% female
What percentage do leukocytes and platelets make up in the blood?
1%
Consists of a buffy white coat when in the centrifuge
What does blood plasma consist of?
>90% H2O
Also a solvent for proteins, regulatory substances, nutrients, electrolytes, gases, and waste
Where is the interstitial fluid found and what is it derived from?
The fluid is found around the tissue cells and comes from blood plasma.
What is serum?
Blood without the clotting factors.
Main protein constituent of blood (~50%), made in liver
Albumin
What is the function of Albumin?
Exerts a concentration gradient between blood and EC tissue fluid.
Source of colloid osmotic pressure
Carrier protein for thyroxine, bilirubin, barbiturates
Largest component of glubulins, functional immune system molecules
Immonoglubulins (y-globulins)
Maintain the osmotic pressure within the vascular system & serve as carrier proteins
a-glubulins and b-glubulins (Non-immune globulins)
Fibronectin, lipoproteins, & coagulation factors are all what?
Non-immune globulins
Largest plasma protein (340 kDa), is made in the liver
Fibrinogen
Insoluble form of fibrinogen
Fibrin (323kDA)
How can fibrinogen be dangerous to humans?
Fibrinogen chains may form from polymerized monomers.
These can become cross-linked, forming impermeable nets that stop blood flow.
What are formed elements?
They are erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets
Formed in bone marrow.
How long do red blood cells live?
What % is removed each day?
Where are they phagocytosed?
120 days
1%
Spleen, bone marrow, liver
These are immature RBCs released from bone marrow.
What do the indicate?
Reticulocytes
Still have organelles
Mature into erythrocytes in 24-48 hours
May indicate underlying illness.
This protein attaches unlying cytoskeletal protein network to cell membrane.
Glycophorin C - integral protein
This binds hemoglobin & acts as an anchoring site for the cytoskeletal proteins (most abundant)
Band 3 protein - Integral membrane proteins
What is glycosylated on the extracellular portion of integral membrane proteins in the erythrocyte?
ABO antigen
Purpose of peripheral membrane network in erythrocytes.
“Laminate” inner layer of membrane
What is the inner lattice of erythrocytes composed of?
α-spectrin & β- spectrin molecules
Heterodimer that forms long, flexible tetramers
What protein complex interacts with glycophorin C?
Band 4.1 protein complex
What protein complex interacts with Band 3?
What does this complex consist of?
Ankyrin protein complex
Ankyrin & Band 4.2 protein
What causes most anemias?
Hemorrhage, insufficient production
or
Hemolytic anemia, accelerated destruction
What dietary problems can cause anemia?
Insufficient dietary Fe, vitamin B12, or folic acid can lead to decreased RBC production
This is an autosomal dominant mutation that affects the ankyrin complex.
Hereditary spherocytosis
Defective anchor points, causing membrane to detach & peel off → spherical erythrocytes
Autosomal dominant mutation the defects spectrin to spectrum lateral bonds and spectrin-ankyrin-band 4.1 protein junctions.
Hereditary elliptocytosis
Membrane fails to rebound & progressively elongates → elliptical erythrocytes
What can cause jaundice in relation to blood?
Destruction of circulating erythrocytes
- Inherited RBC defects
- Pathogenic animals and toxins
Jaundice is common in newborn infants because of inefficiency of newborn liver.
Cause of sickle cell anemia
Single-point mutation β-globin chain of hemoglobin A (HbA)
- Sickle hemoglobin (HbS)
- Glutamic acid → Valine
What percentages of HbS molecules respective to genotypes?
85% in homozygotes
<40% in heterozygotes
What is the danger of sickled RBCs?
Blood is more viscous and RBCs are more fragile
Breakdown is about 20 days
Pile up in smallest capillaries, large vessel obstruction may occur
Two general groups of leukocytes, what are they and what is this based on?
Two general groups based on presence or absence of prominent granules
Granulocytes and Agranulocytes
What cells make up each of the leukocyte groups?
Granulocytes give me all the ‘feels’ → neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils
Agranulocytes → lymphocytes, monocytes
Never Let Monkeys Eat Bananas
What are these?
Neutrophils
Have a multi-lobed nucleus, are polymorphonuclear, or known as polymorphs
General lack of cytoplasmic staining
What do neutrophils function in?
Acute inflammation & tissue injury
Secrete enzymes, ingest damaged tissue, kill invading microorganisms
Bind to adhesion molecules that interact with ligands on endothelial cells —> further directed by chemotaxis
Granules that have lysosomes containing myeloperoxidase (MPO).
Azurophilic granules (primary granules)
Granules that have various enzymes, complement activators, & antimicrobial peptides.
Specific granules (secondary granules)
Granules that have Phosphatases
Metalloproteinases - facilitate migration of through CT
Tertiary granules (two types)
Functions of Eosinophils?
Release arylsulfatase & histaminase
Phagocytose antigen–Ab complexes
May mediate chronic inflammation (i.e.,lung tissues in asthmatics)
What is eosinophilia?
Increase counts of Eosinophils with allergies and/or parasitic infections
Least numerous cell type in blood.
Basophils (<0.5%)
What is this?
Basophil
Lobbed nucleus obscured by granules
Function of Basophils?
Functionally related to mast cells (connective tissue)
Bind an antigen-IgE antibody complex (plasma cells) triggers activation
Release of vasoactive agents from granules
Release histamine
What disturbances can Basophils cause?
Severe vascular disturbances associated with hypersensitivity reactions & anaphylaxis
What are these?
Lymphocytes
Vary 6uM-30uM
Intensely staining, spherical nucleus w/ thin, pale blue rim of cytoplasm
Size-dependent
Undergo differentiation in the thymus; long lifespan & are involved in cell-mediated immunity
T lymphocytes (T cells)
Form & differentiate in bone marrow; transform into plasma cells → antibodies
B lymphocytes (B cells)
Programmed to kill virus-infected and/or tumor cells
NK cells
What is this?
Monocytes
Largest of the WBCs (~18 μm)
Indented, heart-shaped nucleus
Contain small, azurophilic granules
Where and what do monocytes differentiate into?
Mononuclear phagocytotic system
Osteoclasts, Kupffer cells (liver)
Macrophages of connective tissue, lymph nodes, spleen, & bone marrow
How do monocytes induce inflammation?
Monocyte leaves vasculature → macrophage → phagocytosis
What are these?
Thrombocytes
Small, membrane-bound, cytoplasmic fragments
How are thrombocytes formed?
Derived from megakaryocyte: large polyploid cells in bone marrow
Small bits of cytoplasm are broken off of the cell
Platelets circulate as discoid structures w/ a life span of ~10 days
Platelets release what?
What is the function of these chemicals?
Serotonin: potent vasoconstrictor → smooth muscle contraction → reduces blood flow at injury
ADP & thromboxane A2: increase aggregation of platelets to form primary hemostatic plug
What does the secondary hemostatic plug consist of?
Fibrin, forms a mesh to entrap more platelets during wound healing.
What is the advantage of the biconcave structure of erythrocytes?
Allows them to move through tight cappilaries, lack of organelles allows them to be full of hemoglubin and allow oxygen to bind.
What is it called when erythrocytes line up on themselves?
A Rouleaux
Why can erythrocytes be used as a histological ruler?
Typically aways 7 to 8 microns in length.
What is this?
Bands - immature neutrophils with banded nucleus
What is this?
Eosinophil
