Blood Flashcards
____________________ a specialized fluid of connective tissue that contains cells suspended in a fluid matrix
Blood
What are the five functions of blood?
Functions include (1) transportation of dissolved gases, nutrients, hormones, and metabolic wastes; (2) regulation of pH and ion composition of interstitial fluids; (3) restriction of fluid loss at injury sites (i.e., blood clotting); (4) defense against toxins and pathogens; and (5) stabilization of body temperature
What two parts make up blood?
Whole blood contains plasma (fluid) and formed elements (all cells and solids)
_____________________ is the process of separating whole blood for clinical analysis into plasma and formed elements
Fractionation
Plasma is composed of ___________% water; the remaining ___% is composed of plasma proteins (____%) and other solutes (_____%)
92%
8%
7%
1%
What are the three main types of dissolved plasma proteins?
- Albumin
- Globulin
- Fibrinogen
______________ is the major protein contributor to osmotic pressure and transporter of lipids and steroid hormones
Albumin
__________________ are protein transporters of ions, hormones, and lipids and a component of immunity
Globulins
_________________ is an essential protein component of the clotting system and can be converted into insoluble fibrin
Fibrinogen
Where are most plasma proteins produced?
Liver
Where are immunoglobulins produced?
Leukocytes (white blood cells)
What three other solutes make up the 1% of plasma volume?
- Electrolytes
- Organic nutrients (lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids)
- Organic wastes
___________________ transport oxygen; they make up 99.9% of blood’s formed elements
Red blood cells or erythrocytes
Describe the shape of red blood cells.
Red blood cells are small, highly specialized discs that are thin in the middle and thicker at the edge
What are three ways that red blood cell structure enables its function?
- 1) high surface-to-volume ration allows for quick absorption and release of oxygen;
- (2) discs can form stacks that soothes flow through narrow blood vessels; and
- (3) discs bend and flex entering small capillaries – 7.8 micrometer red blood cell can pass through a 4.0 micrometer capillary
Red blood cells transport _______________, a protein that transports respiratory gases; in an adult male, normal hemoglobin levels range from 14 to 18 grams per decaliter
Hemoglobin
___________________ refers to the production of formed blood elements
Hematopoiesis
Red blood cells form via __________________, which only occurs in the ________________ or myeloid tissue
Erythropoiesis
Red bone marrow
What provides the microenvironment that supports erthyropoiesis?
Bone marrow sinusoids
After the nucleus is ejected from an erythroblast, the cell becomes a _____________________ or immature red blood cell
Reticulocyte
Why is a reticulocyte considered immature?
Because it lacks the full complement of hemoglobin required to be a mature red blood cell
Reticulocytes are released from the bone marrow and still contain ______________, mitochondria, and ______________; they begin to synthesize ___________________ and 48 hours post-release they mature into erythrocytes
Golgi
Ribosomes
Hemoglobin
What are two ways to measure red blood cell levels in the human body?
Red blood cell count
Hematocrit
_______________________ reports the number of red blood cells in 1 microliter of whole blood
Red blood cell count
