Introduction To Haematology

Question 1

What are the components of blood?

Answer 1

RBC (42-45%)
WBC (1%)
Plasma (55-58%)

Question 2

What are proteins found in the blood?

Answer 2

Albumin
Fibrinogen
Globulins

Question 3

What is the difference between serum and plasma?

Answer 3

Serum is plasma without clotting factors

Question 4

What are the properties of RBCs?

Answer 4

120 days lifespan
No nucleus
Discoid (large surface area to volume ratio)
 8 micrometer in diameter
Contain haemoglobin

Question 5

Where does haemopoesis occur?

Answer 5

Liver and spleen (foetus and neonates)
Bone marrow (neonates, child and adult)

Question 6

How is WBC production regulated?

Answer 6

Regulated by colony stimulating factors that bind to haemopoeitic stem cells and tell them what to become (stimulated by infection and useful to treat reduce cell count post cancer treatment)
Also interleukins

Question 7

What is the mean corpuscular volume and how is it calculated?

Answer 7

Volume of individual RBCs in fl.

MCV: haematocrit/RBC per litre

Question 8

What is MCV used for?

Answer 8

To identify disease.
Microcytic anaemia (due to iron deficiency)
Macrocytic anaemia / megaloblastic ( vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency)

Question 9

What is Mean corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration?

Answer 9

Average concentration of haemoglobin in a single RBC.
MCHC = Hb/PCV
Lowered when cells are large with impaired ahem production

Question 10

What is mean corpuscular haemoglobin?

Answer 10

Average mass of haemoglobin per RBC
MCV = Hb/RBC
Reduced when cells are small due to iron deficiency

Question 11

What is haematocrit (or PCV packed cell volume)?

Answer 11

The proportion of blood that is made up of cells