Blood Flashcards
What is blood made up of?
red blood cells (45%), white blood cells, platelets, and plasma
What are red blood cells?
biconcave discs that are about 1/3 hemoglobin
What’s another name for red blood cells?
erythrocytes
What is hemoglobin?
the substance that binds to oxygen and allows red blood cells to transport them through the bloodstream
What happens when hemoglobin binds to oxygen?
it creates the bright red color - unbound hemoglobin appears darker/looks blue through the blood vessels
What produces red blood cells?
red bone marrow
What hormone controls the rate of red blood cell production?
erythropoietin
What organs release erythropoietin?
the liver and the kidneys
When is erythropoietin released?
during times of oxygen deficiency
What is essential for red blood cell production?
vitamin b12, folic acid, and iron
What do white blood cells do?
help fight against disease
What’s another name for white blood cells?
leukocytes
What happens when blood transports white blood cells?
they are brought to areas of infection and they leave the bloodstream and attempt to protect the body from illnesses/foreign bodies
What can white blood cells be broken down into?
granulocytes and agranulocytes
What do granulocytes contain?
granular cytoplasm (dots in cytoplasm)
How big is a granulocyte?
two times the size of a red blood cell
Where do granulocytes develop?
in red bone marrow
What do granulocytes include?
neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils
What is the most common type of white blood cell?
neutrophils
What do neutrophils do?
act as the first line defense against any bacterial microorganism by capturing and destroying “bad cells”
What does the destruction of bad cells by neutrophils cause?
redness and swelling in the area where the bad cells were
What happens after neutrophils destroy bad cells?
the neutrophils help start tissue repair
What do eosinophils cause?
inflammation during their attack on negative cells
What do eosinophils attack?
parasites and some infections
What is the biggest white blood cell?
basophils
What is the rarest type of white blood cell?
basophils
What do agranulocytes lack?
dots in the cytoplasm
What are agranulocytes made up of?
monocytes and lymphocytes
What are monocytes?
the firefighters of the cell
What can monocytes do?
remove dead cells from the body
What can monocytes be separated into?
dendritic cells and macrophages
What do dendritic cells do?
act as the call center and help recruit other cells to help fight infections
What do macrophages do?
defend the frontline by absorbing negative cells and destroying then
What are the two main types of lymphocytes?
t lymphocytes and b lymphocytes
What do lymphocytes do?
form memory cells that can remember viruses/bacteria and help destroy them
What do t lymphocytes do?
control immune response in the body and directly attack infected/tumor cells
What can t lymphocytes be broken down into?
cytotoxic t cells, helper t cells, and regulatory/suppressor t cells
What do cytotoxic t cells do?
attach to antigens on infected cells and then make holes in these cells’ membrane and insert enzymes to destroy it
What kinds of cells do cytotoxic t cells target?
foreign cells, viral cells, cancer cells, and tumor cells
What do helper t cells do?
help other immune cells, some assist b cells in making antibodies while others activate cytotoxic t cells
What do regulatory/suppressor t cells do?
make substances that help end immune response
Why is what regulatory/suppressor t cells do important?
it prevents the body from attacking itself (autoimmune disorders)
What can b cells be broken down into?
primary immune response and secondary immune response
What happens during primary immune response?
an antigen binds to a receptor and b cells are stimulated, they then transform into memory or plasma cells
What do memory cells do?
recall prior infections and determine if a cell needs to be destroyed
What do plasma cells do?
make antibodies for specific antigens in order to destroy them
What happens during secondary immune response?
memory cells detect an infection and multiply, they then change into plasma cells and release antibodies
What is blood coagulation?
the formation of a blood clot, it is the most effective mechanism for the stoppage of bleeding
What is a blood clot that forms abnormally called?
a thrombus
What is an embolus?
a blood clot that has detached from the wall of a blood vessel and is transported via the bloodstream to other areas
When does an infarction occur?
when a clot forms in a vessel that supplies blood to a vital organ - this organ will suffer more and more tissue damage the longer the vessel is blocked
What can infarctions lead to?
death
What is linked to higher risks of infarctions?
conditions that change the linings of blood vessels such as atherosclerosis
What is atherosclerosis?
the buildup of fatty deposits on blood vessel walls that can prompt improper blood clotting
What is the ABO blood group based on?
the types of antigens present on the surface of red blood cells
What blood type do you have if you have antigen a?
A blood
What blood type do you have if you have neither antigen a or b?
O blood
What blood can AB be donated to?
AB only
What blood can A be donated to?
AB and A
What blood type can be donated to any positive type?
O+
What blood type can be donated to any other blood type?
O-
Should O blood be transfused slowly or quickly?
slowly as it is not a perfect match
What blood type is the universal donor?
O
What blood type is the universal recipient?
AB
Why can’t all blood types mix?
each type of blood has one or more antibodies that have a negative reaction with certain types of blood
What would happen if two blood types that weren’t supposed to mix did?
agglutination would occur, which is the clumping of red blood cells that can lead to serious injury or death
What is RH an acronym for?
the species of monkey it was tested on
What does it mean if the RH antigen is detected on RBCs?
the person tested is RH positive
Is RH inherited or not?
it is inherited
What happens if transfusions occur where the bloods’ RH factor doesn’t match?
a person’s blood may begin to agglutinate
What is 55% (the majority) of blood made up of?
plasma
