Lecture 16: Blood composition and function

Question 1

blood circulation?

Answer 1

left = fully oxygenated + arterial
right = not fully oxygenated + vena cava

Question 2

what are the major components of blood?

Answer 2

cells
proteins
lipids
electrolytes
vitamins
hormones
glucose

Question 3

what constitutes cells?

Answer 3

erythroid (rbc), myeloid (neutrophils/innate), lymhoid (b/t cells)

Question 4

what constitutes proteins?

Answer 4

albumin (state), haemoglobulin (blood transport), fibrinogen (blood clotting)

Question 5

what constitutes lipids?

Answer 5

hdl, ldl, vldl, measuring ratio:risk factor for heart disease, columnary thrombosis

Question 6

what constitutes electroylytes?

Answer 6

salts + minerals
hco3-, na+, cl-, ca2+, mg2+ k+, creatine creatinine
keeps isotonicity + ph balance
mg+ k regulates heart,, otherwise arrythmia

Question 7

how does centrifugation of blood work?

Answer 7

tube + anticoagulant (stops blood from clotting)
- heparin/edta –> takes calcium away

creates 3 layers; plasma (55%), buffy coat (wbc/platelets), rbc (45%)

Question 8

how do we separate blood proteins?

Answer 8

serum electrophoresis:
uses serum (plasma that does not contain fibrinogen removed with coagulation), less viscous yellow liquid remaining after removal of clot

albumin - 50%, globulin = 40%.

+albumin, a1, a2, b, gamma-
multiple myeloma = detected through this. bc malignant lymphocyte produces monoclonal ig.

Question 9

what are the major blood proteins?

Answer 9

albumin; 50% of total blood protein.
- maintains colloidal osmotic pressure
binds and transports many small molecules, hormones.

fibrinogen: 7% of total blood protein.
- activated through coagulation cascade –> cross linnked fibrin.

Question 10

extra major blood components

Answer 10

1. immunoglobulins: antibodies; diverse repertoire of antigen binding proteins produced by b lymphocytes
2. complement: 9 proteins that “coat” bacteria” targeting them for phagocytosis. c3 = major component. opsonisation
3. coagulation factors: 13 proteins cleaved in an ordered cascade resulting in fibrinogen –> fibrin. ca2+ is essential to coagulation. haemophilia’s result from a missing component. factor 8 is the most common. **wolfram = stops formation of ca2+ binding sites