Blood and Circulatory Disorders Flashcards
What are the four components of blood? What are the make up percentages?
- red blood cells 45%
- white blood cells <1%
- platelets <1%
- plasma 55%
What is the structure of the red blood cell?
- no nucleus
- disc-shaped, flexible
- contains hemoglobing
What is the function of the red blood cell?
to transport oxygen -> mobile storage for hemoglobin
What is the structure of the white blood cell?
- have a nucleus
- short life span
What is the function of the white blood cell?
fights infection
What is the structure of platelets in the blood?
made of cell fragments
What is the purpose of platelets in the blood?
blood clotting
What is the structure of plasma in the blood?
- Protein-rich liquid
- contains electrolytes
What is the function of plasma in the blood?
carries blood cells
erythrocytes (red blood cells) are completely enucleated (no nucleus)
red blood cells have no nucleus
How often must red blood cells be replaced? Why?
must be replaced every 100-120 days by cells in bone marrow because they cannot divide
what is a leukocyte?
a white blood cell
Can white blood cells make proteins?
yes they contain nuclei and organelles.
How do white blood cells protect the body against infection?
with an immune response :
they migrate out of capillaries into surrounding tissue in response to signals
Where are white blood cells made?
- bone marrow
- thymus
- spleen
- lymph nodes
What is the Rh factor?
Rhesus factor -> a type of protein on the outside of red blood cells
What hemagglutination?
a process to determine blood type
Describe the hemagglutination process?
- test tubes containing A, B or Rh antibodies.
- mix the patient’s blood
- observe the results
what are thrombocytes?
platelets
What are platelets?
- they are fragments of a parent cell
- don’t have a nucleus and degenerate in 10 days
- they are packed with proteins and enzymes that mediate clotting
What is the main cause of mobitidy and mortality worldwide?
heart disease
What is atherosclerosis?
accumulation of plaque made from fats, cholesterol or other substances on the artery it leads the artery walls to become thickened and stiff
What is the result of atherosclerosis?
reduced blood flow and oxygen supply, can result in formation of clots and hypertension
What is coronary artery disease?
when the plaque buildup is in the coronary artery
What are risks for atherosclerosis?
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol and triglyceride levels
- smoking
- type 1 diabetes
- obesity
- physical inactivity
- high saturated fat diet
What is myocardial infarction?
a heart attack
What is a heart attack?
plaque build up in the coronary artery blocking blood flow and oxygen to the heart, which results in the death of cardiac muscle cells due to lack of oxygen, which may cause the heart to stop pumping
What is a stroke?
when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts
What is the result of a stroke?
parts of the brain become damaged or die. It can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death
What is an ischemic stroke?
It is the majority of cases, a blood clot or other particle block the blood vessels to the brain
What is a hemorhagic stroke?
when an artery in the brain leaks blood or rupture, leaked blood puts too much pressure on brain cells damaging them
What is a transient ischemic attack? (or mini-stroke)
a temporary period of symptoms lasting a few minutes. Usually, ischemic strokes act as a warning signal.
What is hypertension?
consistent high blood pressure -> heart is constantly pumping harder, it can damage arteries making them less elastic which decreases blood flow and oxygen to your heart
What is measure for high blood pressure?
130/80 mm Hg
Hypertension can increase the risk for other health problems. What are they?
- heart disease
- heart attack
- angina (chest pain)
- heart failure (when the heart can’t pump enough blood and oxygen to the other organs)
- kidnery disease
What are treatments for coronary heart disease?
- medicines to reduce blood pressure, widen arteries, or blood thinners to prevent the blood from clotting
- coronary angioplasty
- coronary artery bypass graft
- heart transplant
What is a coronary angioplasty?
an emergency treatment during a heart-attack
- a small balloon is inserted into the artery to push the fatty tissue outward allowring the blood flow to improve, a metal stent is usually placed in the artery to hold it open
What is coronary artery bypass graft? Who is it performed on?
a blood vessel is inserted between the aorta and the part of the coronary artery beyond the narrowed or blocked area, it is carried out on people who arteries are narrowed or block?
When does a heart transplant occur?
when the heart is severely damaged
What is an arrhythmia? What is it caused by?
an irregular heartbeat, it is caused by problem with the electrical activity of the heart
What is the treatment for an arrhythmia?
an implant of an artificial pacemaker or small defibrillator
What is a heart murmur?
when the heart makes a sound other than “lub-dub”, like a whooshing or swishing
What is a heart murmur caused by?
- a rapid, turbulent blood flow through the heart
- can also be caused by blood flowing through an abnormal heart valve
Heart murmurs can be congenital. What does this mean?
present at birth. However, it can also be acquired later in life
Heart murmurs can be linked to a damaged or overworked heart, but it can also be innocent (no need for concern or treatment)
What is an aortic aneurysm?
a balloon-like bulge in the aorta
What are the two types of aortic aneurysm?
disset and rupture
What is a dissect aortic aneurysm?
the force of blood pumping can split the layers of the arterial wall, allowing blood to leak between them
What are the risk factors of an aortic aneurysm?
- hypertension
- high blood cholesterol
- atherosclerosis
What is a congenital heart defect?
defect of the structure of the heart and vessels that is present at birth
How frequent are congenital heart defects?
9 out of 1000 people are born with them
What is an example of a congenital heart defect?
a septal defect
- this is a hole in the septum which allows oxygenated and deoxygenated blood to mix
What is anemia?
iron deficiency
What is sickle cell anemia?
a genetic disorder that changes the shape of the red blood cell
