Tired all the time Flashcards
What does the structure of the RBC provide
biconcave shape and no nucleus - pliable, high surface area/volume
What is reticulin?
remnants of mRNA left once the nucleus of a maturing RBC has been extruded (removed by spleen in 1-2 days)
a useful measure of marrow response to anaemia or treatment
What is hepcidin?
regulates iron absorption and release from macrophages - increased in inflammatory disease hence less iron available
How is iron transported and stored?
transferrin: transport/regulation –> transferin receptors increased in iron deficiency
ferritin: insoluble form of storage –> better measure of iron stores
Folic Acid:
Where is it absorbed?
How can deficiency come about?
Absorbed in the upper small bowel
Deficiency due to poor intake/absorption/increased need
B12/Cobalamin:
Where is it absorbed?
How is it transported?
How does deficiency come about?
Absorbed in the terminal ileum
transported on transcobalamin II via portal circulation to liver
dietary deficiency in vegans or pernicious anaemia
How is erythropoiesis switched on?
tissue hypoxia or anaemia
high altitude
epo producing tumors e.g. renal
Structure of Hb and abnormalities
2 alpha chains (chromosome 16)
2 beta like chains (chromosome 11)
Hb (adult) is 2 alpha, 2 beta
Hb (foetal) is 2 alpha, 2 gamma
Thalassaemia: inherited defect in globin chain production
sickle cell disease: one amino acid change in beta chain
neutrophils morphology and function
Morphology – large, copious cytoplasm lobed nucleus.
- chemokines released by activated tissues and immune cells attract neutrophils to sites of infection
- phagocytose microbes and digest in cytoplasmic vesicles
lymphocytes features and functions
- Circulate in the blood and reside in lymph nodes
- Unique antgen specific surface receptor
- B cell receptors recognise soluble antigen
- T cells can only recognize antigen presented in MHC class I or class II molecules.
- MHC are host identifiers, class I on all cells at risk of infection or damage.
- Class II only on professional antigen presenting cells – macrophages, B lymphocytes and Dendritic cells
Natural Killer cells features
• Large lymphocyte cells with granular cytoplasm.
- do not have antigen specific receptors
- recognise virus ingected cells
- part of the innate lymphoid cell group
monocytes: function and features
• Morphology – large cells with a kidney shaped nucleus and copious cycoplasm
- blood monocytes can phagocytose, degrade and present antigen
- monocytes continually migrate to tissues and differentiate to become machrophages
macrophage functions
- phagocytosis
- disposal of infected/damaged cells
- induce inflammation: secrete cytokines and chemokines and inflammatory mediators
- actively recruit other cells to site of infection
- present antigen from degraded pathogen to MHC class II t-helper cells
dentritic cells features
- immature dendtritic cells migrate from the bone marrow through the blood stream to mature in the tissues
- degrade pathogens that they take up
- main role = present antigens to T-cell and send signals to immune mediators
what inhibtits thrombin production?
Heparin and thrombomodulin produced in the endothelial cells