Red blood cells- creation, function and destruction Flashcards
Aidan
What is haematocrit?
the packed cell volume or the amount of RBC’s in the total blood volume.
What is generally the make up of the blood in people with anaemia?
less RBC’s in proportion to WBC’s and plasma than usual but normally the same amount of blood volume.
Describe the structure of RBC’s
A biconcave disc with a high surface areas to volume ratio.
What are the main functions of RBC’s?
Transport of O2 and CO2 and maintaining the acid/base balance of the blood.
Brief description of RBC’s?
Bag of Haemoglobin (Hb) and enzymes for glycolysis- unable to divide and create new proteins.
How does bone marrow move from birth to adulthood.
Widespread throughout body after birth but redistributed to the axial skeleton by adulthood.
Name the stroma of the bone marrow
Fibroblasts, macrophages, endothelium and fat cells.
What other cells do red blood cells develop around?
Red blood cells mature and develop around macrophages in the bone marrow
What is the function of the macrophages in the bone marrow?
Macrophages are the main store of iron in the bone marrow and feed this to developing RBC’s.
What is reticulin?
remnants of mRNA left once the nucleus of a maturing RBC has been extruded, removed by the spleen within 1-2 days.
what form must iron be in to be absorbed and used?
ferrous form
when is there a higher need for iron?
During pregnancy/Blood loss
What does hepcidin do in the body?
It regulates iron absorption and release from macrophages- increased in inflammatory disease so less available iron.
What are some causes of iron loss from the body?
Blood sampling, menstrual loss, minor trauma, GI approx 1ml per day, very small amounts in urine/skin shedding.
what is the role of transferrin?
Transport/recycling, transferrin receptors increased when iron is deficient.
What is ferritin?
The insoluble storage form of iron (it is a better measure of iron stores).