Intro to Hematology Flashcards
Erythropoietin
Cytokine that influences stem cells to develop into red blood cells
Cytokines
Proteins involved in cell-to-cell communication and control stem cell differentiation into specific cell types
Blasts
Blood cells that are an immature stage of development
Where are blasts found?
Bone marrow
Three types of granulocytes
Granulocytes, monocytes, lymphocytes
Three types of granulocytes
Neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils
Innate immune response; what does it include?
How granulocytes respond to foreign cells; inborn, non-specific response that does NOT arise from previous infection and has NO memory; includes complement cascade with proteins that acts in sequence
Adaptive Immune Response
Acquired immunity; how lymphocytes respond to foreign bodies; involves method of learning and remembering antigens
What do monocytes play a role in?
Innate and acquired immunity
Anemia
Low RBC or low hemoglobin and hematocrit
What is anemia caused by?
Decrease in production, increase in destruction, or blood loss
Reticulocyte count
Lab value that measures immature RBC and is used to determine bone marrow activity
Mean corpuscular volume
Lab value that reflects the average size of RBCs; derived from a ratio or packed RBCs to total RBCs
Normocytic
RBCs are of average size; normal MCV
Microcytic
Small RBCs; low MCV
Macrocytic
Large RBCs; high MCV
Normochromic
RBC having the normal color due to adequate hemoglobin; normal MCHC
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
Lab value that estimates the hemoglobin concentration
Is MCV or MCHC more helpful?
MCV
Ferritin level
Determines available iron stores in the body
Hemoglobin
Protein-iron compound in RBCs that carries oxygen and carbon dioxide
What type of hemoglobin do infants have? Adults?
Infants- F; Adults- A1
Hemoglobinopathy
Group of inherited disorders characterized by structural variations of the hemoglobin molecule
Type of hemoglobin seen in sickle cell patients
Type Hb S
Hemoglobin Electrophoresis
Lab test that identifies hemoglobin type
Sickle cell anemia
Hemoglobinopathy that occurs in people homozygous for Hb S resulting in distorted and fragile RBCs
Aplastic anemia
Anemia due to decreased RBC production; seen with pancytopenia and results from failure of bone marrow to generate new cells
Hemolysis
Breakdown or destruction of RBCs
