Red Cells Flashcards
RBC has no nucleus but has mitochondria. T/F?
False - yes no nucleus but has no mitochondria
What are RBC full of?
membrane full of haemoglobin molecules
What is a consequence of RBC being full of haemoglobin? (2)
high oncotic pressure so likes to draw water in,
oxygen rich environment so high oxidation risk
What is a consequence of RBC having no nucleus?
can’t divide or replace damaged parts so short life span
What is a consequence of RBC having no mitochondria?
Limited to glycolysis for energy generation
What is a consequence of RBC having high surface area/volume ratio?
need to keep water out
Proteins in RBC membrane help its structure how?
help make it flexible
How are ion concentrations maintained by RBC membrane?
sodium-potassium pump keeps water out
Haemoglobin structure - what is structure?
tetrameric globular protein
What is difference between adult and child haemoglobin structure?
Adult has 2 alpha and 2 beta chains whereas child has 2 alpha and 2 gamma chains
Which part (haem or globin) are the discs and which are the protein wormy chain structures?
Haem are discs and globin are protein wormy chain structures
There is one heme group per subgroup of haemoglobin. What is a heme group made up of?
Fe2+ in a flat porphyrin ring
When one oxygen molecule binds to one Fe2+, it is oxidised to become what?
Fe3+ -> therefore Fe3+ cannot take on oxygen
ferrous or ferric meaning?
Ferrous good - Fe2+,
ferric bad - Fe3+ so can’t carry oxygen
Haemoglobin functions? (3)
deliver oxygen to tissues,
act as a buffer for H+,
CO2 transport
Erythrocytes begin as what type of cell - common myeloid progenitors or common lymphoid progenitor?
Common myeloid progenitor
What controls erythropoiesis?
Oxygen - sensed by juxtaglomerular cells in kidneys, then produce erythropoietin
What cells sense and breakdown damaged RBCs?
Macrophages in the spleen
What happens to nucleus size in RBC production?
nucleus size starts out really big then as cell divides more and more it gets smaller and then disappears
Average life span RBC?
120 days
Macrophages recycle the products of RBC after breakdown. What does it do with globin?
Recycles globin chains in to amino acids,
Macrophages recycle the products of RBC after breakdown. What does it do with heme group?
heme group broken down into iron and porphyrin ring, porphyrin ring degraded into bilirubin, bilirubin is then taken to liver and conjugated and excreted in bile (colours faeces and urine)
Iron is stored as what?
Ferritin
Iron is transferred bound to what molecule?
Transferrin