Blood Flashcards
Main function of blood?
Transport
Nutrients and gases (Oxygen and CO2)
Waste, platelets, etc
What are the formed elements of blood?
RBCs (erythrocytes)
WBCs (leukocytes)
Platelets
What are the 2 components of blood?
Formed elements
Plasma
What are the 2 types of leukocytes?
Granulocytes
Mononuclear cells (or Agranulocytes)
What are the 3 types of granulocytes?
Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils
What are the 2 types of mononuclear cells (aka agranulocytes)?
Lymphocytes
Monocytes
How do you identify a Neutrophil?
They are the most abundant WBC
They have poor staining affinity
Have segmented nuclei (band in the immature cells)
What are the fxns of neutrophils?
To respond quickly to infections
To phagocytize bacterial and tissue debris
To release chemotactic factors
When might you see an increase in band neutrophils?
acute inflammation = lots of neutophils in the tissue phagocytizing debris
How can you recognize an eosinophil?
they have red granules and segmented nuclei
What is special about eosinophils in a horse?
they are large and prominent
What is special about eosinophils in a cat?
they are rod-like
Functions of eosinophils?
Phagocytic
Inhibition of the release of histamine
Inactivation of histamine and serotonin
When will you see an increase in eosinophils?
Parasites and acute allergies
How do you recognize basophils?
strongly basophilic granules
segemented nucleus
What are the functions of basophils
chronic allergic and non-allergic inflammatory reactions
How do you recognize lymphocytes?
they are larger than RBCs
minimal cytoplasm
large, round-ish, basophilic nucleus
When do you see an increase in lymphocytes?
chronic and viral infections/chronic inflammation
When do you see an increase of monocytes?
during phagocytosis for the removal of debris
fuction of B-lymphocytes?
for humoral immunity
Where to B-cells develop?
Bone marrow
What do B-cells turn into when they migrate into lymph organs and into loose CT?
plasma cells (which secrete Abs)
do B-cells phagocytize?
Yes!
What is the function of T-lymphocytes?
cell-mediated immunity
Where do T-cells develop?
Thymus
What do T-cells do?
reject foreign materials, attack neoplastic cells, viral infected cells and and macrophages containing undigested material
Do T-cells phagocytize?
A limited amount
How can you tell the difference between T and B cells on a blood smear?
You cannot
How can you identify a monocyte?
elongated pleomorphic nucleus
largest WBC
foamy cytoplasm
Function of monocytes
highly phagocytic
may also become antigen presenting cells
Define leukocytosis
increase of leukocytes
define leukocytopenia
lack of or deficiency of leukocytes
Tissue damage causes ? cells to release ?
mast cells
histamine
what does the release of histamine cause?
vasodilation –> increased blood flow to area
increase in permeability to capillaries –> fluid escapes into extravascular compartement –> edema
coagulation factors released for clotting and first stage of wound healing
Describe an erythrocyte (RBC)
biconcave round disc
non-nucleated (except in avian, fish and reptiles)
What is the significance of the biconcave round disc shape of an RBC?
increases efficiency of the RBCs which facilitates gas exchange
What is poikilocytosis?
abnormal shape/size of RBCs
what is the name of the thinner area of the RBCs?
the central pallor
What is a distinguishing factor of a bovine RBC?
less biconcave
common to have different sizes (other species tend to have uniform sizes)
What is a distinguishing factor of a camelid (llama) RBC?
elliptical shape
What is a distinguishing factor of an avian RBC?
nucleated RBCs
Define hemolysis
bursting (rupture) of RBCs
Define crenation
shrinking of blood cells
how can you distinguish a nRBC from a lymphocyte?
nRBCs have a darker staining of the nucleus and cytoplasm
What is a rouleaux? In what animal is this normal?
a stacking of RBCs.
normal in horses
What is associated with a rouleaux?
associated with an increase of serum proteins
What causes hemolysis?
mechanical cell trauma
hypotonic solution
oxidative injury
immune injury
what causes crenation?
hypertonic solution
also a common processing artifact
Significance of nucleated RBCs? possible indications?
almost always abnormal.
possible indications of severe anemia, boen marrow injury, lead poisoning
Define anisocytosis
variation in RBC size
What is a target cell?
RBC with excess membrane vs cytoplams with centrally located hemoglobin
What are platelets (aka thrombocytes)
anuclear cell fragments in mammals
How can you identify platelets?
pale blue cytoplasm
often seen in clusters
Functions of platelets?
blood coagulation- play a vital role in hemostasis
adhere to injured epithelial cells
release coagulation initiators and clot contractile proteins
form thrombi and emboli
release chemotactic factors and vasoactive amines
What are the sites of postnatal hemopoesis?
bone marrow, spleen, thymus
Define myeloid hematopoesis
hematopoeis within the bone marrow
define extramedullary hematopoesis
hematopoesis when it is outside of the bone marrow (in spleen or thymus)
What are the 2 regions of bone marrow
- hemopoetic compartment (or extravascular cmpt)
- vascular compartment
The ? compartments lie between the ? compartments in bone marrow?
hemopoetic
vascular
What is a reticulocyte?
an RBC that just kicked out its nucleus
What is a polychromatophil, how can you recognize it?
an immature RBC that has lost its nucleus but does not have a good central pallor stains to be slightly more basophilic than more mature RBCs
Where are megakaryocytes produced?
liver, kidney, spleen, bone marrow
Where are megakaryocytes stored?
in bone marrow
What is the function of megakaryocytes?
to produce platelets in their cytoplasm while in the bone marrow
What stimulates the release of platelets?
Thrombopoietin release from the kidney stimulates megakaryocytes to release platelets into the bloodstream from the bone marrow
Where are B-cells stored?
bone marrow
Where are T-cells stored
the thymus
Where are lymphoid stem cells located?
the bone marrow
What it the process for the removal of formed elements from the tissues when their life span is complete?
they are phagocytosed by macrophages
what is anemia
low RBCs
what is thrombocytopenia?
low platelets
What are the 2 types of anemia
- Regenerative (due to body losing too much blood)
- Nonregenerative (due to an inability to create more RBCs)
What does it mean to have a “left shift” on a cbc?
seeing more immature neutrophils compared to mature neutrophils
