Red Blood Cells- Creation, Function and Destruction Flashcards

1
Q

How much blood is there in the body?

A

5 litres

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2
Q

What is haematocrit?

A

The ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the total volume of blood.

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3
Q

how many more times is RBC more common than WBC?

A

500x

Usually 2.4x10^33

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4
Q

What is the shape of a red blood cell?

A

Biconcave

Pliable

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5
Q

What can RBC not do?

A

Divide or make new proteins

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6
Q

What are the main functions of RBC?

A

Oxygen and carbon dioxide transport

Acid/base balance

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7
Q

What are the growth factors of RBC?

A

Interleukin 3

Erythropoietin

Androgens

Growth hormone

Thyroxine

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8
Q

What are reticulocytes?

A

Immature RBC

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9
Q

What is reticulin?

A

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

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10
Q

What removes reticulin?

A

The spleen within 1-2 days

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11
Q

What is reticulocytes a good measure of?

A

A useful measure of marrow response to anaemia or treatment

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12
Q

What do you use to stain reticulocytes?

A

Methylene blue

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13
Q

How much iron in the body?

A

3000-5000mg of iron

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14
Q

What percentage of iron is used in Hb?

A

2/3

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15
Q

Where is iron transported into?

A

Duodenal enterocytes

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16
Q

How much iron is required in the diet?

A

10-20mg of which 1-2mg are absorbed in ferrous form

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17
Q

What does hepcidin regulate?

A

Iron absorption and release from macrophages

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18
Q

How does the body excrete iron?

A

It can’t

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19
Q

What can cause iron loss?

A

Menstrual loss

Minor trauma

GI

Blood sampling

Urine

Shedding skin

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20
Q

What is the function of transferrin?

A

Moving iron from the duodenal enterocytes to the spleen

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21
Q

Describe the process of transferrin

A

Transferrin receptors on macrophages

Transferrin latches onto those receptors

Get internalized

The iron is stripped of the transferrin

Transferrin is pushed out of the cell

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22
Q

What transports iron?

A

Macrophages

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23
Q

What is the function of ferritin?

A

Storage of iron

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24
Q

What is the average requirement of folic acid?

A

0.1mg

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25
Q

Where is folic acid absorbed?

A

Upper small bowel

26
Q

Where is folic acid stored?

A

10-20mg

27
Q

What is the daily requirement of B12?

A

1mg

28
Q

What is B12 also known as/

A

Cobalamin

29
Q

Where is B12 absorbed?

A

Terminal ileum

30
Q

What binds b12?

A

Gastric parietal cells produce intrinsic factor which binds

31
Q

What is pernicious anaemia?

A

B12 deficiency

32
Q

What are B12 and folic acid required for?

A

RBC production

33
Q

What is erythropoietin?

A

165 amino acid protein

34
Q

What is the function of erythropoietin?

A

Driver of manufacture of Hb

35
Q

What drive erythropoietin?

This is also known as EPO

A

Tissue hypoxia

Anaemia

High altitude

EPO producing tumours

36
Q

What gives RBC its structure?

A

Spectrin

37
Q

Where do the 2-alpha chains come from in Hb?

A

Chromosome 16

38
Q

Where do the 2 beta chains come from?

A

Chromosome 11

39
Q

What is thalassaemia?

A

An inherited defect in globin chain production

40
Q

What enzyme deficiencies can cause anaemia by haemolysis?

A

Pyruvate kinase

G6PD

41
Q

What are on the axis of oxygen saturation curve?

A

Y axis -Oxyhaemoglobin saturation percentage

X axis- p02

42
Q

What releases oxygen from haemoglobin?

A

2,3 Diphosphoglycerate

43
Q

What is myoglobin?

A

Store of oxygen in skeletal muscle

44
Q

What is the dissociation oxygen curve of myoglobin?

A

Moved heavily to the left

45
Q

What is pH regulated by in the body?

A

Free hydrogen ions in body fluids

46
Q

Why Is acid-base balance important?

A

Neurones become less able to transmit in acidosis

Hyperactive in alkalosis

47
Q

What catalyses the control of production of water and hydrogen ions through bicarbonate?

A

Carbonic anhydrase

48
Q

Where is carbonic anhydrase found?

A

RBC

49
Q

Describe the pathway carbonic anhydrase is used in?

A

CO2 from the tissue pass through the endothelium an enter the RBC

CO2 combines with oxygen catalysed by carbonic anhydrase, producing bicarbonate which is then converted to carbonate ion and hydrogen ions

50
Q

What percentage of the buffer system does bicarbonate make up?

A

60%

51
Q

What percentage of the buffer system does haemoglobin make up?

A

30%

52
Q

How does haemoglobin act as a buffer?

A

Combines with hydrogen ions when oxygen is released

53
Q

What happens when RBC age?

A

Membrane becomes more rigid

There is a loss of glycolytic enzymes

Neoantigens exposed on cell surface

54
Q

Where does RBC energy come from?

A

Glycolytic pathway ending in lactate and pyruvate

55
Q

What do RBC need energy for?

A

Maintaining membrane integrity

Prevent oxidation of enzymes and iron

Maintain ion gradients of potassium and calcium

56
Q

What happens to haemoglobin when a RBC dies?

A

Mopped up by haptoglobin and cleared by liver

Can be excreted in urine

57
Q

What happens to iron when a RBC dies?

A

The iron is bound to transferring and returned to macrophages

58
Q

What happens to the porphyrin ring?

A

It turns into bilirubin which is bound to albumin and conjugated to glucuronide

This is then excreted in bile

59
Q

What is bilirubin?

A

The breakdown of RBC

Hyperbilirubinemia is a sign of liver failure

60
Q

What is haemolytic anaemia?

A

Anaemia caused by RBC destruction

61
Q

What is the function of albumin?

A

Helps repair and maintain body tissue, builds enzymes and hormones, transports nutrients, and assists in blood clotting