Blood

Question 1

What are the different types of cell in the blood?

Answer 1

• Red blood cells
• White blood cells
• Platelets

Question 2

What is an erythrocyte?

Answer 2

Red blood cell

Question 3

What is a leucocyte?

Answer 3

White blood cell

Question 4

What is a thrombocyte?

Answer 4

A platelet

Question 5

What is included within blood plasma?

Answer 5

• ECF
• Water, electrolytes, organic molecules
• glucose, fatty acids, glycerides, amino acids etc
• Plasma proteins

Question 6

What are examples of the plasma proteins produced in the liver and how common are these (%)?

Answer 6

• Albumins (60%)
• Globulins (35%)
• Fibrinogen (4%)
• Regulatory proteins (1%)

Question 7

What are the functions of albumins?

Answer 7

• Oncotic pressure (pressure inside has to be about the same as pressure outside)
• Transport of lipids

Question 8

What are the functions of globulins?

Answer 8

• Transport: ions, hormones, lipid;

- Immune functions

Question 9

What is the function of fibrinogen?

Answer 9

• Inactive form, active form is fibrin –> this is a key component in blood clots

Question 10

What are 2 examples of regulatory proteins?

Answer 10

• Hormones

- Enzymes

Question 11

What is the average blood volume for males and females?

Answer 11

Males - 70ml/kg of body weight

Females - 60ml/kg of body weight

Question 12

What percentage of the blood is plasma?

Answer 12

Around 55% blood volume

Question 13

What percentage of the blood is cells?

Answer 13

Around 45% blood volume

Question 14

What is the most abundant cell in the blood?

Answer 14

RBC - about 99% of all ‘blood cells’

Question 15

What is the size of red blood cells?

Answer 15

• 6-8 micrometres in diameter

Question 16

What is the shape of red blood cells and why?

Answer 16

Biconcave disk shape:

• Permits rapid gas transfer across cell membranes
• Allows RBC to ‘bend’ in narrow capillaries
• Biconcave shape enables RBC to expand to accommodate fluid in hypotonic solutions

Question 17

Where are older blood cells more fragile?

Answer 17

In hypotonic solutions

Question 18

Where are red blood cells formed?

Answer 18

In the red bone marrow

Question 19

Where is red bone marrow found in high concentrations?

Answer 19

• Hip bone, long bones, sternum (bone on chest), skull cap

Question 20

What is the average lifespan of red blood cells?

Answer 20

120 days

Question 21

‘Old’ red blood cells are removed from the circulation and broken down by the MPS system. What does MPS mean?

Answer 21

Monocyte phagocytic system

*Breakdown products are then recycled

Question 22

What are the 2 components of haemoglobin?

Answer 22

• Iron component and protein component
• Protein AA pool
• Haem -> iron; biliverdin, bilirubin

Question 23

Where is bilirubin conjugated and excreted?

Answer 23

• Conjugated in the liver

- Excreted as bile pigment

Question 24

What is erythropoiesis?

Answer 24

The formation of red blood cells

Question 25

What is erythropoiesis regulated by?

Answer 25

Erythropoietin --> produced in the kidneys

Question 26

What is the future RBC like in Day 1: proerythroblast of erythropoiesis?

Answer 26

Big cell made from iron, haem and AA

Question 27

What is the future RBC like in Day2: Basophilic erythroblast in erythropoiesis?

Answer 27

Becomes darker

Question 28

What is the future RBC called in day 3 of erythropoiesis?

Answer 28

Polychromatophilic erythroblast

Question 29

What is the future RBC like in Day 4: Normoblast of erythropoiesis?

Answer 29

Rejects the nucleus

Question 30

What happens,to the RBD at Day 5-7: Reticulocyte of erythropoiesis?

Answer 30

Mature blood cell enters the circulation

Question 31

What happens during the development of a RBC?

Answer 31

- There is a reduction in cell size and regression of the nucleus (this requires folic acid, Vit B12) - There is also an increase in haemoglobin content (which requires iron)

Question 32

What is the process which would induce erythropoietin release?

Answer 32

1. Decrease in RBC numbers 2 So decrease in oxygen delivery to cells 3. So decreased oxygen to the kidney 4. So erythropoietin is released (because there is less oxygen gong to cells, kidneys can detect this and initiate the release of erythropoietin) 5. This causes the red bone marrow to increase the production of RBC's

Question 33

What does the presence of haemoglobin in RBC's allow?

Answer 33

- The transport of oxygen - The transport of carbon dioxide * carbonic anhydrase (enzyme that allows RBC's to carry CO2) (parietal cells also contain the enzyme * bicarbonate production * carbamino compounds

Question 34

What kind of protein is haemoglobin?

Answer 34

Globular protein

Question 35

What are the chains in a haemoglobin molecule?

Answer 35

2-alpha and 2-beta protein chains

Question 36

How many haem groups are found within a haemoglobin molecule?

Answer 36

- 4 haem groups: * porphyrin ring * Iron atom (get iron right in the middle of the ring)

Question 37

Is Fe binding to O2 reversible or irreversible?

Answer 37

Reversible

Question 38

How many haemoglobin molecules are there per each RBC?

Answer 38

200-300

Question 39

What is the name for the immature version of haemoglobin that a foetus has?

Answer 39

Hb-F

Question 40

What does the nucleus of a neutrophil look like?

Answer 40

Multineucleic

Question 41

What does the nucleus of an eosinophil look like?

Answer 41

- Pinker - classic shape of nucleus is bi-nucleic

Question 42

What does the nucleus of a basophil look like?

Answer 42

- Dark staining - single big nucleus that takes u most of the cytoplasm

Question 43

What does the nucleus of a monocyte look like?

Answer 43

- Bi-loped - 2 parts to nucleus

Question 44

What does the nucleus of a lymphocyte look like?

Answer 44

- Single large dark nucleus

Question 45

What are platelets derived from?

Answer 45

megakaryocytes

Question 46

Platelets are involved in haemostasis, what does this mean?

Answer 46

Involved in blood clotting | - Form platelet plug

Question 47

What is the normal platelet count in the blood?

Answer 47

150-400 x 10^9/ litre

Question 48

What do erythrocytes carry on their membranes which characterises a person into their specific blood group?

Answer 48

Antigens

Question 49

What antigens in erythrocytes are important in relation to blood transfusions?

Answer 49

- - AB antigens - Rhesus antigens *The presence or absence of these antigens determines a person's 'blood group'

Question 50

What percentage of the UK has group A blood?

Answer 50

42%

Question 51

What percentage of the UK has group B blood?

Answer 51

10%

Question 52

What percentage of the UK has group AB blood?

Answer 52

4%

Question 53

What percentage of the UK has group O blood?

Answer 53

44%

Question 54

What percentage of people have the Rh+ antigen?

Answer 54

83%

Question 55

What percentage of people have the Rh- antigen?

Answer 55

17%

Question 56

What is the dangerous scenario of Rh-incompatibility?

Answer 56

- If Rh- person receives Rh+ blood, they will develop anti-Rh antibodies - These will not affect the recipient, because they have no Rh-antigen - However, in a Rh- female conceives a Rh+ foetus, some of the foetal RBC's can enter maternal circulation at birth - Anti-Rh antibodies are formed - These can attack and haemolyse the RBC's of a subsequent Rh+ foetus * Results in a haemolytic disease of the new born so new bon child will have all blood cells destroyed

Question 57

Ideally what type of blood should a patient be given if they need a blood transfusion?

Answer 57

Ideally, patients should be given a blood group which is compatible with their blood group

Question 58

In an emergency, what type of blood can be given to any person?

Answer 58

Group O- blood

Question 59

What type of blood is known as the 'universal donor'?

Answer 59

Group O

Question 60

What type of blood is known as the 'universal recipient'?

Answer 60

Group AB