BCP Weeks 1 and 2 Flashcards
Hematocrit constitutes what % of whole blood?
Hematocrit:
- 40 - 50% in males
- 36 - 44% in females
What makes up the “buffy coat?”
Leukocytes and platelets (
How much blood does an average person have?
~ 5L (7% of body weight)
Where does hematopoiesis take place?
- In the bone marrow
- In lymphoid tissues (tonsils, peyer’s patches, thymus, etc.)
Where does hematopoiesis take place in the fetus?
- first in the yolk sac
- then the liver and spleen
- late in development in the bone marrow
What do mature red blood cells lack in addition to nuclei?
Mitochondria and other organelles
What is the approximate life span of a red blood cell in circulation?
120 days
Where are red blood cells broken down?
- Liver
- Spleen
- Macrophages
Type of anemia resulting from a hereditary hemoglobin deficiency:
Thalassemia
Universal red cell donor:
Type O negative
Universal plasma/platelet donor:
Type AB
What is the function of neutrophilic granules?
Specialized lysosomes to destroy invaders
How do lymphocytes appear under a microscope?
Single, dark nucleus with little cytoplasm
What % of leukocytes are lymphocytes?
~ 30% (20 - 40)
True or false: like red blood cells, platelets do not contain mitochondria and other organelles.
False. Platelets lack nuclei but contain mitochondria, ribosomes and other organelles
What is the average life span of platelets?
5 - 10 days
What is Jak/STAT signaling involved in?
- Leukopoiesis
- Thrombopoiesis
The presence of a Reed-Sterberg cell indicates what type of cancer?
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
What does a Reed-Sterberg cell look like under a microscope?
A large, eosin staining, multi-nucleated (owl’s eye nuclei) cell
What microscopic finding is diagnostic of acute myelogenous leukemia?
myeloblasts with Auer rods
What type of leukemia is associated with a mutation in the “Philadelphia chromosome?”
Chronic myelogenous leukemia
How is bcr-abl produced and what does it do?
- translocation of chromosomes 9 and 22
- leads to constitutively active Abl kinase
Common condition resulting from chemotherapy (among other causes) where bone marrow does not make blood cells:
Aplastic anemia
What molecular marker is associated with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)?
CD34+
True or false: Cytokines trigger WBC formation via Jak/STAT signaling
True
CBC vs. CBC with differential:
- CBC: WBCs, RBCs + indices, platelets
- CBC with differential: CBC + amount of each type of WBC
What do elevated basophils suggest?
Myeloproliferative disorder
What do elevated neutrophils indicate?
Bacterial infection
What do elevated lymphocytes indicate?
Viral infection
What do elevated monocytes indicate?
chronic infection or inflammation
What does the phrase “left shift” refer to?
Increase % of immature neutrophils in the blood. Normal response to infection, generally bacterial.