Practicals Flashcards
Romanowsky staining is used for staining blood smears. What compounds are used and what do they stain?
eosin Y: acidic, binds to basic proteins and dyes them pink eg proteins in cytoplasm
polychromed methylene blue: contains azure B, stains nucleic acids purple (?)
this method was originally developed for staining pathogens in the blood
What compounds are used to stain lymphoid tissues?
haematoxylin: stains cell nuceli blue
eosin:
- stains cytoplasm and extracellular matrix pink
- acidic so binds to basic compounds like proteins
What is immuno-histological staining?
- primary antibody that recognises specific protein is added to tissue
- secondary antibody with fluorescent marker that is specific for primary antibody is added. Fluorescence can be observed with a fluorescent microscope.
How do you identify neutrophils in a stained blood smear?
- irregular horseshoe nucleus, which can be fragmented
- visible cytoplasm w faint granules
How do you identify eosinophils in a stained blood smear?
- lobed nuclei (like a teardrop)
- pink stained granules (pronounced)
How do you identify basophils in a stained blood smear?
- non-visible nucleus due to highly granular cytoplasm
- granules are dark (blue)
How do you identify lymphocytes (T + B cells) in a stained blood smear?
- round nucleus
- v little visible cytoplasm
- if activated, much larger cytoplasm to nucleus ratio
How do you identify monocytes in a stained blood smear?
- large cells
- irregular nucleus w variations in shape
What are some pathogens that can be observed in a stained blood smear?
malaria, small dots in an erythrocyte
trypanosomes, parasite looking ass parasite
fungi, idk not v clear
bacteria, look like bacteria
How do you identify erythrocytes in a stained blood smear?
no nucleus, just pink cytoplasm
What happens to carbon after it is injected intravenously (i.v)?
75% of particulate material is taken up by Kupffer cells in liver as part of its detoxification process
also taken up by spleen as part of its blood filtration process
99% of carbon injected this way is removed after 30 minutes
What are the two main areas of the spleen and what are their function?
white pulp: contains lymphocytes
red pulp : dead red blood cells taken up and recycled by macrophages
what is the proportion of different cell types in the blood?
erythrocytes: 94-96%
platelets: 4-6%
leukocytes: 0.1-0.2%
What is the proportion of leukocytes in the blood?
granulocytes: 20-80%
neutrophils: -19-75%
lymphocytes: 15-30%
monocytes: 2-12%
eosinophils: 0-7%
basophils: 0-2%
How is the total number of cells per ml calculated from a sample counted in a haemocytometer?
count per large square x dilution factor x 10^4