Haematology

Question 1

What is erythropoiesis

Answer 1

Production of red blood cells

Question 2

What is erythropoietin

Answer 2

hormone that Controls erythropoiesis

Question 3

How is the kidney involved in erythropoiesis

Answer 3

Releases erythropoietin in response to hypoxia which sends message to bone marrow to increase the number of stem cells committed to erythropoiesis

Question 4

Why is an increase in erythropoietin bad

Answer 4

Increases the viscosity of the blood which is bad

Question 5

What are reticulocytes

Answer 5

Immature red blood cells

Question 6

What does an increase in reticulocyte counts in blood show

Answer 6

That there is an increase in erythropoiesis

Question 7

What is the life span of a red blood cell

Answer 7

120

Question 8

What is the measurement of the HB1AC

Answer 8

Blood test to monitor diabetes (measures the long term control over the last 3 or four months)

Question 9

What is spherocytosis

Answer 9

Genetic condition in which the patient has an abnormal protein in their red cell membrane which means the red cell breaks down more rapidly

Question 10

How to measure haemolytic anaemias and spherocytosis

Answer 10

• INcubate a sample of blood with radioactive chromium which binds to haemoglobin
• Measure the disappearance from blood and the sites of red blood cell destruction detected by surface counting

Question 11

Where does the degradation of RBCs take place

Answer 11

In reticuloendothelial system (of spleen, liver, and bone marrow)

Question 12

What is recycled when a red blood cell is broken down

Answer 12

Fe2+

Question 13

What are causes of jaundice

Answer 13

Increase in rate of red cell degradation

Question 14

Why does jaundice occur when there is an increased rate of degradation in red blood cells

Answer 14

Because porphyrin from haemoglobin is converted to bilirubin in the liver and the bilirubin gets deposited in the eyes and the eyes appear yellow

Question 15

What are the globing chains linked by

Answer 15

non-covalent bonds

Question 16

What subunits are there in haemoglobin

Answer 16

Two alpha and two beta

Question 17

What subunits do fetal haemoglobin have

Answer 17

2 alpha and 2 gamma

Question 18

How is Fe3+ oxidised to get to Fe2+

Answer 18

Oxidised by stomach acid

Question 19

What is ferritin

Answer 19

Iron store

Question 20

what happens to Fe2+ after coming out of the stomach

Answer 20

Turns into Fe3+ again

Question 21

How does Fe3+ form ferritin

Answer 21

Binds to apoferitin to produce ferritin

Question 22

How is iron taken to the bone marrow

Answer 22

Iron is released into blood to bind with transferrin (transport) and then that drivers iron to bone marrow to produce ferritin stores

Question 23

In a blood test, what does ferritin count show

Answer 23

Iron stores

Question 24

what substances increase the uptake of iron in the gastrointestinal tract

Answer 24

Erythroid regulator from bone marrow and an iron stores regulator

Question 25

2,3-DPG mode of action

Answer 25

Present in RBCs and it reduces oxygen affinity of haemoglobin. In its absence haemoglobin would yield little O2 to tissues

Question 26

How is fetal haemoglobin not having 2,3DPG useful

Answer 26

Have a higher O2 affinity

Question 27

When is DPG higher

Answer 27

When arterial O2 reduced chronically ie with altitude or severe COPD

Question 28

What is methaemoglobinaemia

-What is it caused by

Answer 28

Hereditary lack of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase which is responsible for heaping haemoglobin in the reduced state. It may be caused by drugs