Blood 5 Flashcards
What is Anemia?
A decreased oxygen carrying capacity of the blood due to deficiency of RBCs and or the hemoglobin contained in RBCs
What are the 4 causes of Anemia?
- Decreased production of RBCs in the bone marrow
- Increased destruction of RBCs in the body
- Increased loss of RBCs from the body (bleeding)
- Abnormal Hemoglobin production
What is the most common cause of Anemia?
Lack of Iron
What is Pernicious Anemia caused by?
Lack of vitamin B12
What is Aplastic Anemia caused by?
Damage to the bone marrow due to radiation/drugs
How does Chronic Kidney disease affect blood?
It affects how much EPO is released
What is Polycythemia caused by?
Increased amount of RBCs caused by increased amounts of EPO
What may increased breakdown of RBCs be due to?
- Abnormal RBC shape
- Immune reactions
- Physical damage
How does Vitamin B12 get taken in by the body?
B12 moves into the small intestine with Intrinsic Factor from the stomach wall where receptors in the ilium (the furthest part) take up the vitamin B12 IF complex and break it down before absorbing it into the blood
How does the body get vitamin B12?
In food: Liver, fish, eggs, dairy
What causes Polycythemia?
Too much EPO that produces too much RBCs
What happens if there are too many RBCs produced?
It increases the viscosity of the blood causing it to flow with more difficulty through blood vessels
What is the Hemoglobin configuration of Hemoglobin A?
Alpha two, Beta two
When do people have Hemoglobin F?
Before birth
What is the configuration of Hemoglobin F?
Alpha two (like adults), Gamma two
What is the configuration of hemoglobin in Sickle Cell disease?
They have two alpha and two beta chains but there is something wrong in the amino acids of the two beta chains
What does the change in amino acid in the beta chains of Sickle Cell hemoglobin do?
Forms long inflexible chains and cause the red blood cell to be sickle shaped
What are Thalassemias?
When there are unequal numbers of Alpha and Beta chains and they are unable to carry oxygen in a proper manner
What does Abnormal Heme production give rise to?
Porphyrias
What happens if the Iron in blood is oxidized to ferric form?
The hemoglobin becomes known as Methemoglobin and is unable to carry oxygen
