Blood Flashcards
What does blood do
Carries many kinds of substances such as food gases, and wastes to and from all the body cells
What does plasma do
Makes up blood and allows it to flow through blood vessels and circulate throughout the body
What is plasma made of
Mainly water and dissolved gases and nutrients
What % of blood fluid is blood plasma
55%
What makes up the rest of blood
Red and white blood cells and platelets
Plasma is 92% water, what is the rest of it made of
Carbon dioxide Glucose Hormones Proteins Mineral Salts Fats Vitamins
What are the solid components of blood
Red blood cells
White blood cells
Platelets
What is another name for Red Blood Cells
Erythrocytes
Do red blood cells have a nucleus
No
What is the shape of a red blood cell
Tiny, disk like
Not completely round and are bi-concave in shape
What is the main function of red blood cells
Transport oxygen around the body
Why are red blood cells disc shaped with a dent on each side
Increases the surface area for gas exchange
Why do RBC’s have no nucleus
To allow for more space for haemoglobin and therefore more oxygen
Why do RBC’s have a large surface area compared to volume
It allows oxygen to always be close to the surface
What is haemoglobin
A special pigment in RBC’s made of protein that contains iron and retains the oxygen until it reaches its destination
How are RBC’s able to carry oxygen
At the lungs, oxygen diffuses into the blood cell and combines with the haemoglobin to form oxyhaemoglobin
What gives RBC’s their bright red colour
The oxyhaemoglobin
What is the lifespan of an RBC
4 months
What is another name for white blood cells
Leukocytes
Are WBC’s bigger or smaller than RBC’s
They are bigger
What is the shape of an WBC and do they have a nucleus
They have no distinct shape nor do they have a nucleus
What is the main function of WBC’s
Destroy Pathogens and prevent pathogens from spreading
What do higher or lower levels of WBC’s indicate
Can indicate disease
What is another name for a platelet
Thrombocyte
What are Platelets
Small fragments of cells that promote blood clotting and stop wounds from bleeding
What do platelets do when the skin is wounded
They release chemicals that cause soluble fibrinogen proteins to form a mesh of insoluble fibrin fibres across the wound
They stick together to form clumps that get stuck in the fibrin mesh
RBC’s also get stuck in the mesh, forming a clot. This develops a scab which protects the wound
What are the 6 functions of blood that are central to survival
Supplying oxygen to cells and tissues
Providing essential nutrients to cells such as glucose
Removing waste materials such as Carbon dioxide
Protecting the body from infection and foreign bodies through WBC’s
Transporting hormones around the body, transporting messages and completing important processes
Regulating Acidity and body temperatures
Where are RBC’s, WBC’s and platelets produced
Bone marrow
What are the three most common blood disorders
Anaemia
Blood clots
Blood cancers
What is Anaemia
Shortage of RBC’s or haemoglobin in the blood
What are symptoms of Anaemia
Fatigue and pale skin
What are blood clots
When blood clots coagulate inside a blood vessel and create a blockage
How can blood clots lead to a pulmonary embolism
A clot can become dislodged and move through the heart to the lungs. This can be fatal
What are three types of blood cancer
Leukemia, Myeloma and lymphoma
How does blood cancer occur
Mutated blood cells divide uncontrollably without dying at the normal point in their life cycle
What causes high blood pressure
When arteries leaving the heart are coated with a fatty substance that makes them narrow. The narrow arteries force the heart to work even harder. Long term high blood pressure can cause health problems
What causes a heart attack
The blood flow to part of the heart muscle is blocked
The muscle dies
The damaged heart may beat unevenly and therefore not be able to pump blood all around the body
What causes a stroke
Brain cells suddenly die because they do not get enough oxygen
This happens when an artery that carries blood to the brain is blocked or bursts open
What could happen to someone who has a stroke
They may suddenly not be able to speak
Lose their memory
Become paralysed on one side of the body
