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Blood and defence > Red blood cells > Flashcards

Red blood cells Flashcards

1
Q

What are the dimensions of a red blood cell?

A

7.5 micrometer length

2 micrometer thickness

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2
Q

What is the shape of a RBC?

A

Biconcave disc

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3
Q

What does the shape depend on?

A

Water content due to presence of aquaporin channels (osmotic effects)

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4
Q

What maintains the RBC shape?

A

Cytoskeleton, made from ankyrin and spectrin

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5
Q

What shapes are associated with different solutions?

A

Discocyte shape (isotonic solution ~ 300mOs)

Stomatocyte shape (hypotonic solution ~ 100mOs)

Crenelated echinocyte shape (hypertonic solution ~ 500mOS)

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6
Q

What organelle(s) do RBCs not have?

A

Nuclei

Mitochondria

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7
Q

What is the benefit of RBC being able to deform?

A

Squeeze through capillaries

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8
Q

Why do RBC stain pink?

A

Eosin dye (Hb is a basic protein so binds acid dyes)

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9
Q

Blood has anaomalous…

A

Viscosity

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10
Q

What happens to blood viscosity as velocity decreases?

A

Viscosity increases

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11
Q

Why is blood flow low in small vessels?

A

Adherence of RBCs to each other (rouleaux) and to vessel wall

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12
Q

When is viscosity of blood more visible?

A

Membrane more rigid
Aged erythrocytes
Inclusions inside cell (e.g. sickle cell)

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13
Q

What happens to cell shape as viscosity increases?

A

Decreased deformity.

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14
Q

Why is being anucleate beneficial for RBC?

A

Allows biconvcave shape
Greater SA:V for faster exchange
More deformability to fit through capillaries

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15
Q

Why is being anucleate a disadvantage?

A

No further protein synthesis or repair, cells have short lifespan, vast replacement, increase risk of neoplasia

Cell is terminally differentiated cannot modify gene expression.

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16
Q

What is normal lifespan of RBC?

A

120 days

17
Q

Describe effects of RBC in hypotonic solution

A

Haemolysis as water enters through aquaporins

18
Q

What happens in hypertonic medium to RBC?

A

RBC lose water and become crenated.

19
Q

Do RBC respire aerobically?

A

No, they have no mitochondria

20
Q

How do RBC respire?

A

Anaerobic glycolysis, with pentose phosphate shunt to prevent oxidative stress (by producing NADPH). Protects cell without DNA.

21
Q

What sort of environment is RBC, reducing or oxidising?

A

Reducing

22
Q

How are RBC destroyed?

A

Aged RBCs destroyed by marophages in spleen/liver

23
Q

How are RBCs made?

A

In bone marrow, nucleated haematopoietic stem cells which can differentiate to progenitor cells then RBC (in response to erythropoietin form kidney)

24
Q

Describe what happens to haematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow

A

Can self renew or diff into multipotential stem cell

25
Q

What accelerates RBC life span?

A

Abnormal shape e.g. abnormal Hb

Overactive phagocytosis in liver/spleen

26
Q

What are the 3 different types of anemia?

A

Microcytic (smaller erythrocytes), normal (sized erythrocytes) and macrocytic (larger erythrocytes)

27
Q

What causes microcytic anemia?

A

Still high haematocrit e.g. thalassemia

Low haematocrit e.g. iron deficient anaemia

28
Q

What causes normal anaemia ?

A

Haemorrhage, bone marrow disorder

29
Q

What causes macrocytic anemia?

A

Vitamine 12 deficiency or folic acid deficiency

30
Q

Describe the ABO blood system?

A

2 types of glycoproteins on RBC , type A and B
A and B are codominant, O is recessive (neither A or B antigen expressed).

Blood group determines the antibodies they produce against RBC antigen
e.g. anti A antibody comes across A antigen, RBC agglutinate/congeal

31
Q

What is the Rh system?

A

Rh system antigens constitute a group of glycoprotiens aka antigens expressed in most people
People are Rh+ or Rh-

32
Q

When does a RBC lose its nucleus?

A

In development

Blood and defence (5 decks)

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