blood, lymphatic and immune systems Flashcards
What is the medical term, lay term, and function of each of the types of blood cells?
- Erythrocyte – red blood cell, helps carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.
- Thrombocyte – platelet (cell fragments), help form clots to stop bleeding and help wounds heal.
- Leukocyte – white blood cell, helps the body fight infection and disease.
What is blood composed of?
Blood is composed of 55% plasma, 45% red blood cells, and less than 1% white blood cells.
What is hematopoiesis? Where does it occur?
Hematopoiesis is the production of blood; it occurs in the bone marrow.
What is anemia? What is a common symptom of a patient with anemia? What are four different types of anemia, and what causes each of them?
Anemia is a blood condition meaning without red blood cells that makes you feel tired and weak. There are four types of anemia:
- Aplastic, caused by the body stopping production of enough blood cells because of disease or cancer.
- Iron-deficiency anemia, caused by the lack of iron in the diet.
- Sickle cell anemia, caused by an abnormal hemoglobin that produces irregularly shaped red blood cells that may die prematurely.
- Pernicious anemia, caused by the lack of vitamin B12 absorption.
What structures make up the lymphatic system?
The structures that make up the lymphatic system are lymph vessels, lymph fluid, lymph nodes, lymph tissues, lymph organs, and lymphocytes
What are the two main functions of the lymphatic system?
The two main functions of the lymphatic system are to fight disease and infection and balance fluids.
What is a lymphocyte?
A lymphocyte is a type of leukocyte that is in lymph fluid, nodes, tissues, and organs. It fights infection and protects from disease.
Compare and contrast lymphatic and cardiovascular circulation. What are the similarities and differences?
The lymphatic and cardiovascular systems circulation is similar in that they both have capillaries, valves and both carry fluid. They are different in that the lymphatic system doesn’t circulate fluid, instead it acts as a point-to-point path.
How does the lymphatic system help maintain fluid balance in the body?
The lymphatic system helps maintain fluid balance by the lymph vessels vacuuming up fluid from between tissue cells and return it to the systemic circulation
What is lymphedema? What may cause lymphedema? How is it treated?
Lymphedema is a blockage or damage to lymph vessels or nodes caused by cancer, surgery, or infection. It is treated using swelling management including exercises or
wrapping/compression garments.
List all of the lymphatic tissues and organs in the body.
- Tonsils
- Thymus gland
- Bone marrow
- Spleen
- Peyer’s patches (small intestine)
- Appendix
What are Peyer’s patches? What type of tissue/cells are they composed of? Where are they located?
Peyer’s patches are lymphoid follicles located in the distal portion of the small intestine. They are composed of several types of immune cells but are mostly composed of B cells.
What might lead to appendicitis? How is appendicitis most often treated? Why can we live without an appendix?
A stone of feces may lead to appendicitis. Appendicitis is most often treated with an appendectomy. We can live without an appendix because there is redundancy in the lymphatic system, meaning there are other structures with the same function that can take over.
What is the immune system composed of? What is its function?
The immune system is mainly composed of cells. The function of the immune system is to be the body’s defense system against disease and infection.
What are the similarities and differences between the immune system and the lymphatic system?
Both the immune system and lymphatic system function as immunity for the body and use lymphocytes. Unlike the immune system, the lymphatic system functions as fluid balance and features an organ system with anatomical structures. Unlike the lymphatic system, the immune system isn’t comprised of any specific gross anatomy and is mainly composed of cells.
