Blood Flashcards
Cardiovascular system/transport system is composed of what three components?
- blood
- blood vessels
- heart
What are the four characteristics of blood?
- 5x more viscous than water
- pH of 7.35 - 7.45
- 4-6 liters in volume
- classified as a connective tissue
What are the functions of the blood?
- transportation
- regulation
- protection
The blood transports what?
- gases: O2, CO2
- nutrients
- water/waste products
- hormones
The blood regulates what?
- pH
- Ion composition: Na, K, Ca
- Body temperature
- Maintain fluid balance
The blood protects against what?
- Blood loss by clot formation: platelets
- Invasion by foreign particles: leukocytes
What are the two components of blood?
- plasma
- formed elements: cells and cell fragments
Plasma is what part of the blood?
the liquid and non-living part
Plasma is what percent of the total volume of blood?
55%
What percentage of plasma is water?
92%
What makes up the remaining 8% of plasma?
proteins (7%) and other solutes (1%)
What three proteins are found in plasma?
- Fibrinogen
- Immunoglobulins
- Albumin
Fibrinogen function
blood clotting
Immunoglobulins function
identifies and neutralizes foreign bodies
Albumin function
ensures osmotic balance
Formed elements make up what percentage of blood?
45%
What three cells make up the formed elements?
- red blood cells
- white blood cells
- platelets
Red blood cells (erythrocytes) characteristics
- 99.9% of formed elements in blood
- A little over 40% of the total blood volume
- Primarily perform oxygen transport
White blood cells (leukocytes) characteristics
- Less than 0.1% of formed elements
- Many different types
- Primarily used in immune response
Platelets (thrombocytes) characteristics
- Less than 0.1% of formed elements
- Perform blood clot formation =
- Prevention of blood loss during injury
What is hemopoiesis?
Formation of blood/formed elements
Where does hemopoiesis take place?
red bone marrow
The red bone marrow contains what kind of cells?
pluripotent in stem cells
Define pluripotent
(of an immature or stem cell) capable of giving rise to several different cell types.
What triggers the differentiation of the stem cells in red bone marrow?
hormones/hormonal regulation
What hormones trigger the differentiation of the stem cells in red bone marrow?
- Erythropoietin: red blood cells
- Thrombopoietin: platelets
- Cytokines and thymus hormones: white blood cells
What are the anatomical features of red blood cells?
- Most numerous
- Contain hemoglobin
- Do not have a nuclei
- Lack most organelles
- Very small
What is the shape of red blood cells?
biconcave disc
What are the benefits of the shape of red blood cells?
- The shape provides a high surface area
- Allows for stacking = faster
- Flexible
What is the effect of red blood cells not having nuclei/DNA?
inability to reproduce/mitosis or repair themselves
What is the lifespan of red blood cells?
120 days
What is the primary role of red blood cells?
transport oxygen
How do red blood cells transport oxygen?
via hemoglobin
What does hemoglobin contain?
oxygen
What is hemoglobin composed of?
- globin = protein
- a heme group
- iron (dot in the middle of heme)
How many binding sites does a human hemoglobin have?
four
Hemoglobin aids in transporting what molecule to the lungs?
CO2
Where does CO2 bind to hemoglobin?
globin/the protein
What form of hemoglobin does CO2 bind to?
deoxy hemoglobin = lacking oxygen
What is the rule for binding O2 or CO2 to hemoglobin?
hemoglobin can only bind either O2 or CO2 at one time