Erythrocytes 1: General Structure and Function (AS lecture) Flashcards
How many erythrocytes are there per L of blood?
there are 5x10^12 erythrocytes per Litre of blood.
how many leucocytes per L of blood?
5x10^9 per L
how many RBC are there per µL of blood in an adult male and adult female?
4.5-6.3 million RBC per µL in adult male
4.2-5.5 million RBC per µL in adult female
what is another name for Haematocrit?
Packed cell volume (PCV)
what is the Haematocrit?
haematocrit is the volume of erythrocytes in the blood, expressed as a fraction of the total volume of the blood
what are features of the structure of erythrocytes?
- 3D biconcave disc
- no nucleus
- packed with haemoglobin
- 7.2-7.4 micrometers/microns in width
- thinnest part is o.45-1.16 microns and thickest part is 2.31 - 2.85 microns
what are advantages of the Biconcave disc shape of erythrocytes?
- Large SA:V ratio
- Flexible for flow through small capillaries
- smooth flow
What is Zeta potential?
The walls of RBCs being negatively charged.
Why is zeta potential important?
It prevents unnecessary clotting
What causes zeta potential?
RBCs have Sialic acid in them which is negatively charged, causing zeta potential
What is Rouleaux?
Rouleaux is the stacking of erythrocytes
why does the heart need to work harder to pump blood when rouleaux occurs?
when Rouleaux occurs, your erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) increases, increasing viscosity. The increased viscosity causes the heart to need to work harder
What is Fibrinogen?
A protein released to help cause blood clotting. the +ve charged fibrinogen sticks to the -ve charged erythrocytes, makes cells heavier and stickier.
when does rouleaux occur?
rouleaux occurs when your body is having :
- an inflammatory or infectious response
- myeloma cancer (for example).
what type of protein is fibrinogen?
an acute phase protein
what is the lifespan of Erythrocytes?
120 days
what are properties of Erythrocytes’ cell wall and the properties’ function?
- Protein Cytoskeleton
- keeps protein shape - Outer lipid bilayer
- gives hydrophobic skin
what are properties of Erythrocytes’ cell wall and the properties’ function?
- Protein Cytoskeleton
- keeps protein shape - Outer lipid bilayer
- gives hydrophobic skin
how does the Protein cytoskeleton of erythrocytes cell wall keep protein shape?
uses flexible proteins like:
-spectrin
-actin
-ankylin
-protein 4.1
How do Erythrocytes metabolise?
they metabolise anaerobically, using glucose absorbed from plasma through the embeds Meyerhof pathway, where glucose forms lactate.
