Disorders of Red Blood Cells Flashcards
A complex network of fibrous proteins, especially one called ______, maintains the biconcave shape and flexibility of the red cell membrane that facilitates oxygen transport
spectrin
The function of the red blood cell, facilitated by the hemoglobin molecule, is to
transport oxygen to tissues
Hemoglobin is a natural pigment. Because of its _____ content, it appears reddish when oxygen is attached and has a bluish cast when deoxygenated.
iron
HbF is the predominant hemoglobin in the fetus from the 3rd through the 9th months of gestation. It has a pair of gamma (γ) chains substituted for the α chains. Because of this chain substitution, HbF has a higher affinity for oxygen than HbA.3 This affinity facilitates the transfer of oxygen across the placenta from the HbA in the mother’s blood to the HbF in the fetus’s blood. HbF is generally replaced within ___ months of birth with HbA.
6
When red blood cells age and are destroyed in the _____, the iron from their hemoglobin is released into the circulation and returned to the bone marrow for incorporation into new red blood cells or to the liver and other tissues for storage.
spleen
Dietary iron also helps to maintain body stores. Iron, principally derived from _____, is absorbed in the small intestine, especially the duodenum
meat
__________ refers to the production of red blood cells.
erythropoietin
After birth, red cells are produced in the ____ ______ _______. Until 5 years of age, almost all bones produce red cells to meet the growth needs of a child, after which bone marrow activity gradually declines
red bone marrow
After 20 years of age, red cell production takes place mainly in the membranous bones of the _______, ______, ____, and _____. With this reduction in activity, the red bone marrow is replaced with fatty yellow bone marrow.
vertebrae
sternum
ribs
pelvis
The red blood cells are derived from precursor cells called _________, which are formed continuously from the pluripotent stem cells in the bone marrow
erythroblasts
The period from stem cell to emergence of the reticulocyte in the circulation normally takes approximately
1 week
Maturation of reticulocyte to erythrocyte takes approximately
24-48 hrs
Approximately 1% of the body’s total complement of red blood cells is generated from bone marrow each day, and the reticulocyte count therefore serves as an index of the erythropoietic activity of the
bone marrow
Erythropoiesis is governed for the most part by
tissue oxygen needs
decreased oxygen content is sensed by the peritubular cells in the kidneys, which then produce a hormone called
erythropoietin
Mature red blood cells have a life span of approximately
120 days
The destruction of red blood cells is facilitated by a group of large phagocytic cells found in the (4)
liver
spleen
bone marrow
lymphnodes
The bulk of the heme unit is converted to ______, the pigment of bile, which is insoluble in plasma and attaches to plasma proteins for transport. Bilirubin is removed from the blood by the liver and conjugated with glucuronide to render it water soluble so that it can be excreted in the bile.
bilirubin
The plasma-insoluble form of bilirubin is referred to as __________ bilirubin and water-soluble form is __________ bilirubin
plasma insoluble - unconjugated (indirect)
water soluble - conjugated (direct)
If red cell destruction and consequent bilirubin production are excessive, unconjugated bilirubin accumulates in the blood. This results in a yellow discoloration of the skin, called
jaundice
With extensive intravascular destruction of red blood cells, hemoglobin levels may exceed the hemoglobin-binding capacity of haptoglobin and other plasma proteins. When this happens, free hemoglobin appears in the blood (this is called _________) and is excreted in the urine (this is called __________).
blood - hemoglobinemia
urine - hemoglobinuria
The red blood cell, which lacks mitochondria, relies on ______ and the glycolytic pathway for its metabolic needs.
glucose
The depletion of glucose or the functional deficiency of one of the glycolytic enzymes leads to the
premature death of RBCs
A hereditary deficiency of ________ predisposes to oxidative denaturation of hemoglobin, with resultant red cell injury and lysis. This is an anemia that is most frequently seen in black men
glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase G6PD