RBCs Flashcards

1
Q

Red blood cells

A

Specialized cells of the blood, function to carry O2 to tissues and carry CO2 away from tissues

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2
Q

What are the features of the RBCs that aid their function?

A

Bi-concave shape
Lack of organelle
Metabolic function

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3
Q

How are RBCs formed (erythropoiesis)?

A

Lack of O2 in tissues triggers the kidney to release a hormone erythropoietin (EPO)
EPO travls to the bone marrow and induces erythrocyte progenitor cells the multiply and differentiate into RBCs

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4
Q

What are reticulocytes?

A

Young RBCs which which will still contain some organelles (mRNA, ribosomes, golgi)
24-48 hrs to mature

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5
Q

If there in an inc in a reticulocyte count what could that indicate?

A

Chronic bleeding or hemolytic anemia

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6
Q

If there in a dec in reticulocyte count what could that indicate?

A

Pernicious anemia or bone marrow dysfunction

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7
Q

What does the biconcave shape do for the RBC?

A

Gas-exchange: max surface/volume ratio
Deformable: can move in capillaries
Survival in various osmotic pressure, room to swell

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8
Q

Spherocytosis

A

Deformity in RBCs which leaves them spherical instead of biconcave
Results in anemia

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9
Q

What the content make up of an RBC membrane?

A

50% lipid, 50% protein

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10
Q

What are the lipids of the RBC membrane?

A

Cholesterol and phospholipid (PC, PE, PS, Sph)

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11
Q

What are the major phopholipids comprising the RBC membrane?

A

Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)
Phosphatidylcholine (PC)
Phosphatidylserine (PS)
Sphingomyelin (Sph)

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12
Q

Which phosphates predominate in the out leaflet of the RBC bilayer?

A

Sph and PC

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13
Q

What are glycoproteins and what amount of the total RBC lipid are they?

A

Factors comprising ABO blood groups

5-10%

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14
Q

What are the most well known blood type groups?

A

ABO and Rb

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15
Q

What is a blood group?

A

Antigens on the external surface of RBCs

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16
Q

What are ABO substances comprised of?

A

Complex oligosaccharides

17
Q

If an allele codes for glycosyltransferase what blood type must that person have?

A

A or B

O is the deletion of the gene

18
Q

What are the key proteins in and around the RBC membrane?

A

Spectrin, ankyrin, band 3 (anion exchange protein), glycophorins, 4.1

19
Q

What is the main function of Band 3?

A

Chloride-bicarbonate exchanger of the cell
Anchors to membrane skeleton by ankyrin
Regulation of ion content, deforms cell, metabolism

20
Q

What are the functions of glycophorin?

A

Largest component of integral membrane proteins
High sialic acid content (surface charge)
Stability of membrane, deform cell, shape

21
Q

What are the functions of ankyrin?

A

Pyramid-shaped
Binds to band 3 and spectrin
Maintain cell shape

22
Q

What are the functions of 4.1?

A

Contain spectrin-actin binding site
Linkage of spectrin-actin membrane skeleton to lipid bilayer via linkage to band 3 and glycophorins
Membrane deformability and resilience

23
Q

What is spectrin and what does it do?

A

Peripheral membrane protein, comprise of alpha and beta heterodimers
Modulation of cell shape

24
Q

What are the protective enzymes in RBCs?

A
Superoxide dimutase (transition of ROS)
Catalase (H2O2 to O2 and H2O)
Glutathione reductases (GSSG to GSH)
25
Q

What is methemoglobin (metHb) form by?

A

Auto-oxidation of Fe2+ in hemoglobin to Fe3+

26
Q

What is the problem with metHb?

A

Can’t transport oxygen

27
Q

How do RBCs change from metHb to normal Hb?

A

NADH-cytochrome b5 metHb reductase system (off-shoot of glycolysis)

28
Q

How could someone have a metHb anemia?

A

Inherited - deficiency of cytochrome reductase or others

Acquired - ingestion of chemicals (sulfanoamides/anilines)

29
Q

How are metHb anemias treated?

A

Administering oral or IV of methylene blue or ascorbic acid

30
Q

What is the importance of the hexose monophosphate shunt?

A

Generates NADPH by glucose that is moved in

Maintains glutathione in reduced state (GSH)

31
Q

Which step in glycolysis can cause anemia if deficient?

A

G6PD

32
Q

What is the importance of the Rapoport-Luberin shunt?

A

Generates 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate

Can moderate the binding of O2 to Hb

33
Q

Heme

A

4 polypeptide chains surrounding a porphyrin ring

34
Q

Describe heme synthesis

A

Start with succinyl Co-A, condenstation of the pyrrole rings

35
Q

What are porphyrias?

A

Diseases resulting from errors in here metabolism

Typically genetic

36
Q

How is heme degraded?

A

Globins are recycled by making heme into bilirubin and is then transported to the liver and excreted as bile

37
Q

How can you fix jaundice in newborns?

A

Phototherapy