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Cell Biology > Red Blood Cells > Flashcards

Red Blood Cells Flashcards

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1
Q

How much blood should a 70kg adult have?

A

5L of blood.

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2
Q

What proportions should an adult’s blood be?

A

40% cells and 60% plasma.

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3
Q

How many times more numerous are RBC than WBC?

A

x500.

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4
Q

How often fo RBC need to replace?

A

RBC need to replace 1% per day to make up for the expected lifespan of 100 days.

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5
Q

What is the structure of a RBC?

A

Biconcave disc with no nucleus.

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6
Q

How does the structure of a RBC give it qualities?

A

Pliable with high surface area to volume ratio.

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7
Q

What does the RBC contain within it?

A

Bag of haemoglobin and enzymes for glycolysis- unable to make no proteins or divide.

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8
Q

How does the RBC prevent oxidation?

A

By maintaining membrane integrity.

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9
Q

What forms “blood islands”?

A

Embryological stem cells form blood islands in the yolk sac.

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10
Q

What is the cell pathway in the foetus?

A

Cells migrate to the liver then spleen and then bone marrow.

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11
Q

How does the distribution of bone marrow change as we grow?

A

At birth bone marrow is widely distributed, retreating to axial skeleton by adulthood.

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12
Q

What are the growth factors associated with RBCs?

A

Interleukin 3, erythropoietin, androgens and thyroxine.

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13
Q

What is in the stroma of bone marrow?

A

Fibroblasts, macrophages, endothelium and fat cells.

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14
Q

What is a reticulocyte?

A

An immature RBC.

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15
Q

What is reticulin?

A

Remnants of mRNA left once the nucleus of a maturing RBC has been extruded.

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16
Q

How is the reticulin removed?

A

In the spleen in 1-2 days.

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17
Q

What can reticulocyte numbers be used to measure?

A

A useful measure of marrow response to anaemia or treatment.

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18
Q

What can be used to stain reticulocytes?

A

New methylene blue on slide.

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19
Q

How much iron do adults have and where is most of it?

A

3000-5000mg of iron, 2/3 being in the haemoglobin.

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20
Q

Where is ferrous iron transported to?

A

Transported into duodenal enterocytes.

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21
Q

What regulates iron absorption and release?

A

Hepcidin regulates iron absorption and release from macrophages.

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22
Q

When is the action of hepcidin increased?

A

In inflammatory disease hence less iron available.

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23
Q

Is there a mechanism to excrete iron?

A

No

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24
Q

How can humans lose iron?

A

Menstrual loss, minor trauma, GI, blood sampling and very small amounts in urine and skin shedding.

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25
Q

What is transferrin?

A

Glycoprotein found in blood plasma.

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26
Q

What is the function of transferrin?

A

Is capable of binding iron and thus acts as a carrier of iron in the bloodstream.

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27
Q

What is the function of ferritin?

A

An iron protein complex that is one of the forms in which iron is stored in tissues (insoluble).

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28
Q

What is the daily requirement of folic acid/folate?

A

0.1mg.

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29
Q

Where is folate absorbed?

A

Upper small bowel.

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30
Q

Where is folate stored and how much is stored?

A

In the liver and 10-20mg.

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31
Q

What is folate and its function?

A

B vitamin that is important in the synthesis of nucleic acids.

32
Q

What is the daily requirement of B12 (cobalamin)?

A

1 microgram all derived from animal products.

33
Q

What produces the “intrinsic factor” and what does it do?

A

Gastric parietal cells and it binds to B12.

34
Q

Where is B12 absorbed?

A

In the terminal ileum.

35
Q

What is B12 transported on?

A

Transcobalamin II via portal circulation to the liver.

36
Q

Why do RBCs need B12?

A

Required to change from 5 methyl tetrehydrofolate to THF.

37
Q

What is erythropoietin?

A

A hormone secreted by certain cells in the kidney in response to a reduction in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues.

38
Q

What controls erythropoiesis?

A

Erythropoietin increases the rate of RBC production and is the mechanism which controls erythropoiesis.

39
Q

What is erythropoiesis?

A

RBC production.

40
Q

What is the structure of erythropoietin?

A

GLycosylated 165 AA protein

41
Q

Where is erythropoietin produced?

A

90% renal and 10% liver.

42
Q

What are the medical uses of erythropoietin?

A

Useful recombinant drug for renal anaemia and myelodysplasia.

43
Q

What switches on production of erythropoietin?

A

Tissue hypoxia or anaemia, high altitude and epo producing tumours.

44
Q

What is hypoxia?

A

Deficiency of oxygen in the tissues.

45
Q

In terms of hormones, what happens at low oxygen levels in the tissues?

A

mRNA for epo is increased and epo is produced.

46
Q

What is spherocytosis?

A

The presence in the blood of abnormally shaped RBCs.

47
Q

What does haemoglobin need to form?

A

2 alpha chains and 2 beta chains.

48
Q

How are the haemoglobin different in the fetus?

A

The 2 alpha chains are replaced by gamma chains.

49
Q

What chromosome codes for the alpha chains?

A

16.

50
Q

What chromosome codes for the beta chains?

A

11.

51
Q

What is thalassaemia?

A

An inherited defect in globin chain production.

52
Q

What causes sickle cell s disease?

A

One AA change in the beta chain.

53
Q

Why do RBCs need enzymes?

A

For a glycolytic pathway ending with lactate and pyruvate producing energy.

54
Q

What is energy needed for in RBCs?

A

Maintain membrane integrity, prevent oxidation of enzymes and to maintain ion gradients.

55
Q

Which ions have gradients in the RBC?

A

Iron, calcium and potassium.

56
Q

What would cause an oxygen dissociation curve to shift to the right?

A

Acidosis and increased temperature will cause a right shift and hence deliver more oxygen to tissues.

57
Q

What does 2,3 diphosphoglycerate do?

A

An intermediate step in glycolysis produces a right shift of oxygen dissociation curve and hence more released in the tissues.

58
Q

When is 2,3 DPG increased?

A

Exercise, anaemia and high altitude.

59
Q

What is myoglobin?

A

An iron containing protein found in muscle cells. One haem unit, one globin chain.

60
Q

What is the function of myoglobin?

A

Acts as a store for oxygen for immediate use.

61
Q

What is the normal blood pH?

A

7.35-7.45.

62
Q

Why is acidosis important for enzymes?

A

They work optimally at physiological pH.

63
Q

What happens to cell membranes in acidosis?

A

They become leaky.

64
Q

What happens to neurones in acidosis?

A

Become less able to transmit in acidosis.

65
Q

What happens to neurones in alkalosis?

A

They become hyperactive.

66
Q

What is the bicarbonate buffer equation?

A

carbon dioxide and water form carbonic acid which breaks down into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate.

67
Q

What happens to the buffer equation when there is a decrease in pH?

A

A decrease in pH will drive the equation to the left.

68
Q

What are the buffer equations catalysed by?

A

Carbonic anhydrase.

69
Q

What is the buffer capacity of haemoglobin?

A

30%.

70
Q

In terms of H+ what happens to haemoglobin after it loses its oxygen?

A

It combines with H+ and the low pH decreases haemoglobin affinity for oxygen.

71
Q

What happens to the RBC as it ages?

A

Membrane becomes more rigid, loss of glycolytic enzymes and neoantigens exposed on CSM.

72
Q

What happens to old RBCs?

A

Some lost from GI tract, some into tissues and some through menstrual loss while some are destroyed in the body.

73
Q

What “mops up” free haemoglobin?

A

Haptoglobin- cleared by the liver, any excess can appear in the liver.

74
Q

What happens to the globin once the RBC is destroyed?

A

Globin chains broken into AAs.

75
Q

What happens to the iron once the RBC is destroyed?

A

Iron bound to transferrin and returned to macrophages.

76
Q

What happens to the porphyrin ring once the RBC is destroyed?

A

Becomes bilirubin- bound to albumin and conjugated to glucuronide and then excreted in the bile.

77
Q

What can low albumin levels indicate?

A

A problem with your liver or kidneys.

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