Components of the blood

Question 1

What is blood made up of?

Answer 1

Plasma- which contains RBC, WBC, platelets, clotting factors

once clotting factors are removed from blood, this is referred to as serum

Question 2

What is serum?

Answer 2

Serum is blood once the clotting factors are removed.

Serum contains glucose, electrolytes (Na+, K+), proteins (immunoglobulins, hormones)

Question 3

Development of blood cells

Answer 3

blood cells develop in the bone marrow (pelvis, vertebrae, ribs, sternum)

Question 4

Pluripotent haematopoetic stem cells

Answer 4

undifferentiated cells that have the potential to transform into a variety of blood cells

• myeloid stem cells
• lymphoid stem cells
• dendritic stem cells

Question 5

RBC

Answer 5

myeloid stem cells = reticulocytes= RBC

surive up to 3 months

Question 6

Platelets

Answer 6

made from megakaryocytes
life span is 10 days
normal count is 150000-450000,//m3
they aggregate to form gaps for blood clot formation

Question 7

WBC

myeloid stem cells

Answer 7

myeloid stem cells = promyelocytes = 
monocytes (then macropahge)
neutrophils
eosinophils
mast cells
basophils

Question 8

WBC (lymphoid stem cells)

Answer 8

lymphocytes
B cells / T cells

B cells mature in the bone marrow and differentiate into plasma cells or memory B cells

T lymphocytes mature in the thymus gland and differentiate into CD4 cells / CD8 cells / Natural Killer Cells

Question 9

Blood film findings

Answer 9

check shape, size and content of cellls

Question 10

Anisocytosis

Answer 10

variation in size of the red blood cells.

seen in myelodysplasic syndrome as well as some forms of anaemia.

Question 11

Target cells

Answer 11

central pigmented area, surrounded by a pale area, surrounded by a ring of thicker cytoplasm on the outside.

makes it look like a bull’s eye target.

seen in iron deficiency anaemia and post-splenectomy

Question 12

Heinz Bodies

Answer 12

individual blobs seen inside red blood cells caused by denatured globin.

seen in G6PD and alpha thalassemia

Question 13

Howell-Jolly bodies

Answer 13

individual blobs of DNA material seen inside red blood cells. Normally this DNA material is removed by the spleen during circulation of red blood cells.

seen in post-splenectomy and in patients with severe anaemia where the body is regenerating red blood cells quickly.

Question 14

Reticulocytes

Answer 14

immature red blood cells that are slightly larger than standard erythrocytes (RBCs) and still have RNA material in them.

Reticular mesh like appernace

Haemolytic aanemia

Question 15

Schistocytes

Answer 15

fragments of RBC
RBC are being phsically damaged by trauma during journey through the blood vessels

haemolytic uraemic syndrome
DIC
thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura

metallic heart valves
haemolytic aanemia

Question 16

Sideroblastic

Answer 16

immature red blood cells that contain blobs of iron. occur when the bone marrow is unable to incorporate iron into the haemoglobin molecules.

indicate myelodysplasic syndrome.

Question 17

Smudge cells

Answer 17

ruptured white blood cells that occur during the process of preparing the blood film due to aged or fragile white blood cells.

indicate chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Question 18

Spherocytes

Answer 18

spherical red blood cells without the normal bi-concave disk space.

indicate autoimmune haemolytic anaemia or hereditary spherocytosis.