Blood

Question 1

What is the liquid portion of blood called?

Answer 1

Plasma

Question 2

Where do ALL blood cells orginate from?

(i.e. RBCs, WBCs and platelets)

Answer 2

Hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow.

Question 3

What are the three main components of the cellular portion of blood?

Answer 3

1. RBCs (or erythrocytes)
2. WBCs (or leukocytes)
3. platelets (or thromobocytes)

Question 4

What is the main function of RBCs? WBCs?

Answer 4

RBCs: Transport O₂ and CO₂

WBCs: Protection against invaders and produce antibodies

Question 5

RBCs are biconcave (“disk-shaped”). What is the significance of this shape?

Answer 5

1. Easy travel through tiny capillaries
2. Increases surface area, for greater gas exchange

Question 6

What is the main function of platelets?

Answer 6

Blood clotting

Platelets are derived from megakaryocytes.

Question 7

What is the main difference between the composition of RBCs and WBCs?

Answer 7

• RBCs have NO membrane-bound organelles and instead contain hemoglobin.
• WBCs have membrane-bound organelles and contain NO hemoglobin.

Question 8

[Mnemonic]

Never Let Monkeys Eat Bananas

(how to remember the five WBCs)

Answer 8

Never Let Monkeys Eat Bananas

Neutrophils

Lymphocytes

Monocytes

Eosinophils

Basophils

Question 9

Explain what hematocrit is.

Answer 9

The percentage of RBCs in blood.

A normal hematocrit is considered to be between 41-53% for males and between 36-46% for females.

Question 10

WBCs (or leukocytes) are divided into two groups of cells. What are these two groups?

Answer 10

1. agranulocytes (lymphocytes and monocytes)
2. granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils)

Question 11

Lymphocytes are important in the body’s specific immune response. What is their main function?

Answer 11

Long-term recognition/memory of pathogens

Question 12

What are the two main types of lymphocytes, that function in adaptive immunity?

Answer 12

1. B cells
2. T cells

Question 13

What are monocytes called once they leave the bloodstream and enter tissues?

Answer 13

Macrophages

Question 14

Which cell type(s) in blood do contain nuclei?

Answer 14

WBCs

Question 15

How is oxygen transported in the blood?

Answer 15

Binds to the protein hemoglobin (Hb) within a RBC.

Hb is made up of four heme groups with iron cores which each bind to an oxygen molecule.

Question 16

Which cell type(s) in blood do NOT contain nuclei?

Answer 16

1. RBCs
2. platelets

Question 17

What are the four blood types?

Answer 17

1. A
2. B
3. AB
4. O

Question 18

The ABO system is made up of three alleles for blood type. What are these three alleles?

Answer 18

1. I^A (A blood type)
2. I^B (B blood type)
3. i (O blood type)

Question 19

Which blood type is the universal donor?

Answer 19

Type O

Question 20

Which blood type is the universal recipient?

Answer 20

Type AB

Question 21

If an individual has type A blood, which antigens are found on the surface of their RBCs?

Answer 21

Type A blood = A antigens (I^AI^A or I^Ai)

• Type B blood = B antigens (I^BI^B or I^Bi)
• Type AB blood = A & B antigens (I^AI^B)
• Type O blood = none (ii)

Question 22

If an individual has type O⁺ blood, what does the positive sign indicate? Negative sign?

Answer 22

• positive sign: presence of the Rh factor
• negative sign: absence of Rh factor