Erythropoiesis Flashcards
Properties of mature RBCs
packed with Hb
no nucleus or mitochondria
no DNA/RNA - no cell division
Life span of a RBC
120 days
which organ removed fragile old RBCs from circulation
the spleen
where are new cells produced
red bone marrow
what are new RBCs produced from
pluripotent stem cells
what are RBCs broken down to
globular haemoglobin proteins are broken down to amino acids
Haem group is converted to bilirubin
Iron binds to transferrin in the blood and is recycled
where does bilirubin go
transported to the liver and secreted into bile
it’s breakdown products colour urine and faeces
what regulates erythrocyte production
EPO- erythropoietin, released by the kidneys
what causes the kidney to release EPO
hypoxia
steps of erythropoiesis
- pro erythroblast (derived from myeloid stem cells)
- polychromatic erythroblast (Hb appears in cytoplasm)
- orthochromatic erythroblast (nucleus shrinks, full complement of Hb in cytoplasm)
- erythroblast extrudes nucleus
- reticulocyte into circulation
- mature erythrocyte
structure of a RBC and its importance
Biconcave disc:
- increased surface area
- Flexible membrane so that cells can squeeze through capillaries in single file
- decreased diffusion distance
what is the largest component of blood
plasma (55%)
what % of blood composition do platelets + white blood cells make up
1%
what % of blood is made up of RBCs in males, and in females
males- 40-50%
famles- 36-46%
what is haematocrit
the volume of RBCs as a % of total blood volume
how is RBC ion balance and cell volume regulated
Na+/K+ ATPases (the sodium pump) energy dependent process