Clinical Hematology Overview Flashcards
The total volume of blood in an average adult is about?
6 L, or 7% to 8% of the body weight
In the total volume of blood about what % is composed of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets?
45%
In the total volume of blood about what % is composed plasma?
55%
Approximately what % of plasma is water?
90%
Soluble biochemicals is what % of plasma?
10%
Examples:
- proteins
- carbohydrates
- vitamins
- hormones
- enzymes
- lipids
- salts
- and trace metals
What is another term for the production of red blood cells?
Hematopoiesis
Blood cell differentiation and maturation occur primarily in what environment?
Bone Marrow
How many days do erythrocytes need for maturation?
3 to 5 days
What are the 6 stages of development for an RBC?
Rubriblast > Prorubricyte > Rubricyte > Metarubricyte > Reticulocyte (bluish hue) > Erythrocyte
Mature RBCs have a total life span of how many days?
120 days
Worn-out RBCs are broken down by what system?
Mononuclear Phagocytic System
The process by which a cell engulfs and digests foreign material is called what?
Phagocytosis
What are the cells which are located in the blood sinusoids and their primary function is to remove worn-out RBCs.
Mononuclear Phagocytes
What is the portion of Hb to which a molecule of oxygen binds?
Heme (iron)
The concentration of _____ in the blood is a measure of its capacity to carry _____, on which cells are absolutely dependent for energy and therefore life.
hemoglobin, oxygen
This term is derived from the diagrammatic representation of cell maturation, in which the more immature forms are shown on the left side.
Shift to the Left
After being released in the peripheral blood from the marrow these cells are in circulation for about 10 hours.
Neutrophils
In terms of cell size and cytoplasm, as a cell matures there is a progressive decrease in size, cytoplasm, and in the intensity of blue color because of loss of what?
RiboNucleic Acid (RNA)
Name the 3 granulocytes.
Neutrophil, Eosinophil, Basophil
The granulocytes begin forming with what type of blast?
Myeloblast
What stage of development comes prior to a basophilic and neutrophilic myelocyte?
Promyelocyte
At what stage of development can one tell the difference between an eosinophil and a neutrophil?
Myelocyte
When are eosinophils most active?
allergic reactions and certain parasitic infections of the tissues
What is the approximate life span of an eosinophil once released into the peripheral blood from the marrow?
8 hours
Basophilic myelocytes are recognizable due to what feature?
Basophilic Granules
What is the approximate life span of neutrophils once released into the peripheral blood from the marrow?
10 hours
Which of the 3 granulocytes occurs in very low numbers with a mean of 0.6%?
Basophils
What is the approximate life span of a basophil once released into the peripheral blood from the marrow?
approximately 8 to 10 hours
Which granulocyte is thought to contribute significantly to the local inflammation associated with IgE-dependent immune responses to parasites?
basophil
What are the 3 substances the granules within a basophil are made of?
- heparin
- histamine
- and perioxidase
List the 3 stages of development for monocytes.
Monoblast > Promonocyte > Monocyte
Approximately how long do monocytes remain in the peripheral blood after leaving the bone marrow?
Hours to days
When does a monocyte transform into a macrophage?
When they move into the body tissues.
Approximately how long do macrophages remain in the tissues?
Months
Which cell interacts with lymphocytes in the synthesis of antibodies?
Macrophage
How do macrophages assist T cells?
They process and deliver antigens to T cells.
What are the 5 stages of eosinophil development?
Myeloblast > Eosinophilic Myelocyte > Eosinophilic Metamyelocyte > Eosinophilic Band > Eosinophil
What are the 3 stages of platelet development?
Megakaryoblast > Megakaryocyte > Platelet
What are the 6 stages of neutrophil development?
Myeloblast > Promyelocyte > Neutrophilic Myelocyte > Neutrophilic Metamyelocyte > Neutrophilic Band > Neutrophil
What are the 4 stages of basophil development?
Myeloblast > Promyelocyte > Basophilic Myelocyte > Basophil
What are 2 types of lymphocytes?
T-cells (T lymphocytes) and B-cells (B lymphocytes)
What is another term for platelet?
thrombocyte
Where do T-lymphocytes mature in the body?
thymus
What is the diameter of an RBC?
7 to 8 µm
When an RBC extrudes its nucleus it changes from _____ to _____ on a Wright-stained blood film.
blue to orange
An RBC that has just extruded its nucleus is called what?
reticulocyte
The number of _____ in the peripheral blood is an indication of the degree of RBC production by the marrow.
reticulocytes
About what percent of the circulating RBCs are reticulocytes?
1%
What is another term for when a reticulocyte squeezes through the openings in the endothelial cells lining the marrow cavity?
insinuating
In Wright’s-stain what colors do reticulocytes appear to be?
pink-grey or pale purple; they have a slight bluish tinge
What 6 measurements are taken in a Complete Blood Count (CBC)?
- Hb
- Hematocrit
- RBC count w/ morphology
- WBC count w/ differential
- Platelet estimate
- RBC Indices
What are the 3 RBC indices?
- Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH)
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC)
What are the 3 commonly used anticoagulants used in hematology?
- EDTA (K3, Tripotassium Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid)
- Heparin
- Sodium Citrate
Identify the anticoagulant used in these tubes.
EDTA (K3, Tripotassium Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid)
What is the mode of action for EDTA?
It removes ionized calcium (Ca2+) through the process of chelation.
What type of anticoagulant does this tube contain?
heparin
Of the 3 commonly used anticoagulants used in hematology which is considered an inappropriate anticoagulant for many tests due to Wright-stained smears staining too blue?
heparin
What is the preferred anticoagulant for the Osmotic Fragility Test?
heparin
The MCV represents the ________ or ________ of the average RBC.
volume or size
What is another word for corpuscular?
Cell
MCV measures the ________ of an RBC.
volume (or size)
The MCHC represents the ________ concentration or ________ of the average RBC.
hemoglobin concentration or color
What does MCHC stand for?
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration
The MCH represents the ________ of hemoglobin in the average RBC.
weight
What does MCH stand for?
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin
What is the derived measurement determined electronically for the measurement of the degree of the variability in RBC size?
Red Cell Distribution Width
What does RDW stand for?
Red Cell Distribution Width