Blood And Blood Groups

Question 1

What are the constituents of blood

Answer 1

Oxygen 
Nutrients
Hormones
Heat
Antibodies and cells of the immune system
Clotting factors
Wastes

Question 2

What is the function of continual blood flow

Answer 2

Continual blood flow maintains a constant bodily environment.
Homeostatic mechanisms maintain blood volume and concentration of blood constituents.
Head produced from active bodily organs (such as muscles and liver) is distributed around the body by the blood stream - maintaining core body temperature.

Question 3

What is the structure of erythrocytes

Answer 3

Their bioncave shape increases surface area for gas exchange.
The central portion is thin for fast exchange of cells.
They’re flexible so can fit through thin capillaries.
They contain no intercellular organelles to leave more room for haemoglobin.
Their flattened shape allows them to stack and prevent turbulence.

Question 4

What is the function of erythrocytes

Answer 4

Erythrocytes (Red Blood Cells) count for 99% of the bodies blood cells.
Their main function is to transport gas - mainly oxygen but they also carry some carbon dioxide.

Question 5

What are the 8 stages of Erythropoiesis?

Answer 5

1) Hemocytoblast
2) Common myeloid progenitor, a multipotent stem cell.
3) Unipotent stem cell.
4) Pronornoblast.
5) Basophilic normoblast (erythroblast)
6) Polychromatophilic normoblast
7) Orthochromatic normoblast
8) Reticulocyte.

Question 6

Which stage of Erythropoiesis takes place within the blood stream?

Answer 6

Reticulocyte takes place within the blood stream and takes 1-2 days for the cell to mature into an erythrocyte.

Question 7

How are erythrocytes produced?

Answer 7

As they have no nucleus, they can’t divide. The process of forming new erythrocytes is called Erythropoiesis.

Question 8

What is the function of leukocytes?

Answer 8

Leukocytes are important for defence and immunity. They detect foreign and abnormal material and destroy it.

Question 9

What is the function of thrombocytes?

Answer 9

Thrombocytes are packed with granules containing a variety of substances that promote blood clotting.

Question 10

What is the function of plasma?

Answer 10

The main constituent of plasma is water. It carries a range of substances including:
Plasma proteins
Electrolytes 
Nutrients
Waste products
Hormones
Gasses

Question 11

What’s the function of plasma proteins?

Answer 11

Plasma proteins are retained in the blood as they’re too big to escape through capillaries. They create the osmotic pressure of blood to keep plasma fluid within circulation.

Question 12

What is the function of electrolytes within plasma?

Answer 12

Muscle contraction
Transmission of nerve impulses
Maintenance of acid based balance.

Question 13

What is the function of nutrients in plasma?

Answer 13

Plasma transports nutrients from the site of production to tissues for use or storage.
Nutrients are essential for cellular growth and metabolism and they include glucose, amino acids and vitamins.

Question 14

What is the function of waste products in plasma?

Answer 14

Plasma transports urea, creatinine and uric acid from the liver to the kidneys for excretion.

Question 15

What is the function of hormones within plasma?

Answer 15

Hormones are chemical messengers secreted by endocrine glands and transported to their target organs and tissues.

Question 16

What is ‘thrombus’?

Answer 16

A thrombus is a blood clot within the circulatory system. It attaches to the site where it was formed and hinders blood flow.

Question 17

What are the 4 main blood types?

Answer 17

A
B
AB
O

Question 18

If your blood group was A, what groups could you DONATE blood to?

Answer 18

A and AB.

Incompatible with B and O as they produce anti-A antibodies which will react with the blood.

Question 19

If your blood group was group A, who could you RECEIVE blood from?

Answer 19

A and O.

AB and B produce anti-A antibodies which will cause a reaction.

Question 20

If your blood group was group B, who could you DONATE blood to?

Answer 20

B and AB.

A and O create anti-B antigens which would cause a reaction.

Question 21

If your blood group was AB, who could you RECEIVE blood from?

Answer 21

All blood groups as AB doesn’t create any antibodies.

Question 22

If your blood group was AB, who could you DONATE blood to?

Answer 22

AB only.

A, B and O make anti-A and anti-B antibodies which would cause a reaction.

Question 23

If your blood group was O, who could you DONATE blood to?

Answer 23

All blood groups.

O have no antigens so won’t react with antibodies.

Question 24

If your blood group was group O, who could you RECEIVE blood from?

Answer 24

O only.

O makes both anti-A and anti-B antibodies so will react with antigens from groups A, B and AB.

Question 25

What’s the importance of Rhesus Factor during blood transfusions?

Answer 25

If you’re Rh+, you can receive both Rh+ and Rh- blood.
If you’re Rh- you should only receive Rh- blood.
If Rh+ is given to someone who’s Rh- for the first time, the immune system will react to the foreign antigens by producing anti-Rh.
If an Rh- person is given Rh+ blood a further time, antibodies will attack the foreign RBC, causing them to clump together. Resulting in destruction of the RBC causing serious illness or death.

Question 26

What’s the importance of Rhesus factor during pregnancy?

Answer 26

If a mother is Rh- and baby is Rh+ and both their bloods come into contact then the mothers blood will produce Rh antibodies. In further pregnancies, if mother carries another Rh+ baby, Rh antibodies will cross through the placenta and damage the babies RBC’s. Possibly causing life threatening anemia.

Question 27

What precautions are taken during pregnancy if a mother is Rh-?

Answer 27

If a mother is Rh- she will have antibody screening during the first trimester, at 28/40w and at delivery to detect Rh antibodies.
If Rh antibodies aren’t present, the mother will receive an Rh immune globulin injection to prevent the body from producing Rh antibodies.
If the mothers blood contains Rh antibodies the baby will be carefully monitored and may require a blood transfusion through the umbilical cord or immediately following delivery.