Blood

Question 1

What is blood?

Answer 1

A fluid tissue composed of cells in watery liquid called plasma.

Question 2

What is blood composed of?

Answer 2

Plasma, red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells.

Question 3

What is the primary function of blood?

Answer 3

• To transport oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, nutrients, hormones, wastes and blood cells around the body.
• Also fights infections by clotting, temperature regulation and tissue pH regulation.

Question 4

What is plasma?

Answer 4

• A straw-yellow liquid composed of 92% water, with dissolved salts, sugars, lipids and proteins (e.g anitbodies & hormones) making up the rest.

Question 5

What is the overall percentage of plasma in blood volume?

Answer 5

54%

Question 6

Where are red blood cells made?

Answer 6

Red bone marrow of long bones, e.g the femur.

Question 7

What are red blood cells also known as?

Answer 7

Erythrocytes.

Question 8

What makes red blood cells unique?

Answer 8

• Biconcave shape, giving a greater surface area for oxygen to diffuse in and out.
• No nucleus, allowing more space to carry oxygen
• Smaller than the average cells in order to fit through the various blood vessels in the body.
• Contain haemoglobin

Question 9

What is the function of red blood cells?

Answer 9

Transporting oxygen around the body.

Question 10

What percentage of the blood volume do red blood cells make up?

Answer 10

45%

Question 11

How long do red blood cells live for and what happens to them afterwards?

Answer 11

• Live for 120 days
• Get broken down in the liver
• Haemoglobin broken down into bilirubin and biliverdin, which are then sent to the gall bladder and secreted in to bile.

Question 12

What is haemoglobin?

Answer 12

A red pigment made from protein. It is a globular protein with a haem (iron-containing) group. The haem group is responsible for carrying oxygen.

Question 13

How many oxygen molecules can one haemoglobin protein carry?

Answer 13

Four oxygen molecules.

Question 14

What is oxyhaemoglobin?

Answer 14

Haemoglobin that is carrying oxygen.

Question 15

What is deoxyhaemoglobin?

Answer 15

When haemoglobin isn’t carrying oxygen.

Question 16

What are the four blood types of the ABO system?

Answer 16

• A
• B
• AB
• O

Question 17

What is a haemolytic transfusion reaction?

Answer 17

A potentially fatal reaction that can occur when red blood cells of the wrong type are given during a blood transfusion. Antibodies are made against the foreign molecules causing the cells to break open.

Question 18

What is a universal recipient?

Answer 18

People who can generally receive blood transfusions from any blood group. This is type AB

Question 19

What is a universal donor?

Answer 19

People who can donate blood to any other blood group. This is type O.
NOTE - people who are blood type O can ONLY receive blood from others that are also type O.

Question 20

What is meant by the statement “Inheritance of blood groups is inherently mendelion in nature”?

Answer 20

This means that a person who belongs to blood group A, for example, can have one of two possible genotypes - AA or AO (A is dominant to O).

Question 21

If the rhesus factor (Rh) is present on the red blood cells, the person is said to be ______________________?

Answer 21

Rhesus positive (Rh+).

Question 22

If the rhesus factor (Rh) is not present on the red blood cells, the person is said to be _______________________?

Answer 22

Rhesus negative (Rh-).

Question 23

What percentage of the blood volume do white blood cells and platelets make up?

Answer 23

1%

Question 24

What is the function of both white blood cells and platelets?

Answer 24

Both involved in defence mechanisms within the body.

Question 25

What are white blood cells also known as?

Answer 25

Leucocytes.

Question 26

Where are white blood cells produced?

Answer 26

Bone marrow.

Question 27

What are the two types of white blood cells?

Answer 27

1. Monocytes 2. Lymphocytes

Question 28

What are monocytes?

Answer 28

* Monocytes are a large group of white blood cells that mature into more specific types of white blood cells, such as macrophages. * They tend to have a kidney-shaped or notched nucleus.

Question 29

What is phagocytosis?

Answer 29

The process where foreign particles are ingested (by monocytes).

Question 30

What is the role of lymphocytes?

Answer 30

* Involved in more specific defences within the body and specifically recognise individual pathogens, producing antibodies against them. This inactivates and immobilises the pathogen. * Tend to have a large round nucleus that takes up most of the volume of the cell.

Question 31

What are platelets?

Answer 31

Small, irregular shaped cell fragments that do not have a nucleus.

Question 32

What are platelets also known as?

Answer 32

Thrombocytes.

Question 33

What is the lifespan of platelets?

Answer 33

7 days.

Question 34

What role do platelets have?

Answer 34

Platelets are essential in blood clotting. In this way, platelets help to prevent blood loss and entry of pathogens into the body via a wound.

Question 35

What is haemophilia?

Answer 35

A medical condition in which the ability of the blood to clot is severely reduced, causing the sufferer to bleed severely from even a slight injury.

Question 36

What is deep vein thrombosis (DVT)?

Answer 36

When an unwanted clot is formed, especially deep within the veins of the legs.

Question 37

What is a pulmonary embolism?

Answer 37

A potentially life threatening condition, that occurs when a blood clot moves from the vein and travels to the lungs where it then causes a blockage.

Question 38

How can you prevent DVT?

Answer 38

Taking regular breaks to walk around on flights and long car journeys and wearing compression socks.