Week 1: Composition of Blood and Haematopoiesis Flashcards
At which stage of erythropoiesis does hemoglobin appear?
polychromatic erythroblast
What are the last 3 functions of plasma proteins? (Hint: the first 3 are Blood coagulation, transportation, plasma oncotic/osmotic pressure)
viscosity of blood, acid-base balance, Erthyrocyte sedimentation rate
What are the first 3 functions of Plasma proteins? (Hint: the last 3 are viscosity of blood, acid-base balance, Erthyrocyte sedimentation rate
Blood coagulation transportation Plasma oncotic/osmotic pressure
Name 3 transport functions of blood
- carry nutrients around the body - carry hormones around the body - carry waste products to excretory organs
What is a normal platelet count?
150-400 billion per litre
What is the role of the red blood cell?
The red blood cell is essentially a concentration of haemoglobin (33% of RBC), transporting oxygen around the body
What is the life span of an erythrocyte?
120 days
Where is erythropoietin produced?
kidneys
Name 3 regulatory functions of blood
- regulate temperature - regulate fluid balance - regulate pH
List some changes that occur during cell maturation
- decreased size - increased cytoplasmic volume - decrease in RNA -> decrease in basophilia - granules appear and condense - Chromatin thickens, becomes course and irregular - elative amount of cytoplasm increases
What are the main formed elements of blood?
Red blood cells, White blood cells, and Platelet
Fill the timeline of haematopoiesis during embryonic development

- yolk sack
- liver
- spleen
- bone marrow
What makes up plasma?
Water (92%), Plasma proteins (7%), and other solutes (1%)
fill the blanks

- neutrophils
- eosinohils
- basophils
- monocytes
- lymphocytes
fill the blanks

- eosinophils
- neutrophils
- lymphocytes
- basophils
- monocytes
What causes hypoproteinaemia?
Dilution or loss of plasma protein such as: - Excretory organ dysfunction such as nephrotic syndrome - pregnancy - extensive skin burns - malabsorption
What are the two main components of blood and what percentages do they account for?
Plasma - 46-63% Formed Elements - 37-54%
What are the 4 categories of globulin?
alpha1, alpha2, beta, gamma
What is the erythrocyte sedimentation rate?
The eryhtrocyte sedimentation rate is the rate at which erythrocytes settle into a sediment in an hour. Typically higher for females than males and correlating to the amount of fibrinogen
Name the agranulocytes
lymphocytes, monocytes
What causes hyperproteinaemia?
Usually excessive fluid loss increasing protein concentration such as: - vomiting - diarrhoea - diabetes insipidus
What are the sites of red marrow in the adult?
sternum - vertebrae - ribs - clavicles - skull - pelvis - proximal ends of long bone
Which is the most abundant plasma protein?
Albumin (60%)
What is the role of erythropoietin?
This cytokine stimulates RBC production, all steps of maturation, and release
Name 4 types of molecules albumin transports
Steroid hormones, lipids, fatty acids, bilirubin
What is the normal blood volume for an adult male and female respectively?
m: 5-6L f: 4-5L
What is the normal life span of platelets?
5-9 days
Complete the right cascade (include step 1)

- myeloblast
- myelomonoblast
- promonocyte
- monocyte
- macrophage
What level of albumin is considered albuminaemia?
<1.0g/L
What is considered hyperproteinaemia?
> 8.0g/L
Which stages of erythrocytes can be found in the blood?
reticulocytes and mature erythrocytes
What is chemotaxis?
Movement toward certain chemicals
At which stage of erythropoiesis does the nucleus disappear?
Between the orthochromoblast and reticulocyte stages the nucleus is pushed the periphery and removed.
Name 3 types of molecule transported by globulins
lipids, hormones, metal ions
Which leukocytes are phagocytic?
neutrophils and monocytes (macrophages)
How much of the human body weight is accounted for by blood?
8%
What is the role of fibrinogen?
Fibrinogen is a clotting factor (CF1). It makes the blood viscous and contributes to clotting.
Where does haematopoiesis occur?
In bone marrow - mostly red
How long does erythropoiesis take?
5-9 days
What stimulates erythropoietin release?
Hypoxia (decreased blood flow and therefore decrease oxygen to kidneys) - causes kidneys to produce erythropoietin
What is the functional advantage of the erythrocytes bi-concave shape?
high surface area:volume and flexibility
Name the steps of erythropoiesis
- pluripotent stem cell
- Pronormoblast
- basophilic normoblast
- polychromatophilic normoblast
- orthochromic normoblast
- shift reticulocyte - BM
- reticulocyte - PB
- erythrocyte

In what unit is blood viscosity measured and what is a normal value?
centipoise - 1.1-1.2
Name the granulocytes?
neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils
What is the precursor to all blood cells?
pluripotent haematopoietic stem cells
Complete the left cascade

- myeloblast
- promyelocyte
- myelocyte
- metamyelocyte
- Band form
- neutrophil
What is the normal blood pH range?
7.35-7.45
What are the haematopoiesis stages? (3)
Mesoblastic stage: haematopoiesis in yolk sack Hepatic Stage: haematopoiesis in liver and spleen Myeloid stage: haematopoiesis in bone marrow
What are an increased and decreased platelet count called respectively?
Thrombocytosis and thrombocytopenia
What would an increase in band neutrophils in the blood indicate?
band neutrophils are immature neutrophils. This indicates infection as the body has produced this increased amount of neutrophils to eventually mature and fight the infection.
What could a decreased amount of WBC’s indicate and what could it leave the patient susceptible to?
A sustained infection. Can leave the patient susceptible to simple infection (immunosupressed)
define hematocrit
number of RBCs to total blood volume
define mean corpuscular volume (MCV)
average size of the RBCs
define mean corpuscular haemgloblin (MCH)
average mass of the haemgloblin
what is normochromic (think when referring to anaemias)?
What would hypochromic be?
Normochromic refers the the Hb in the RBC at a normal level.
Hypochromic would mean there is a deficieny in number of Hb.
What is normocytic (think when referring to anaemia)
Normal size and shape of RBC - means there is just a deficiency of RBC when talking about anaemia.
Name the factors which increase erythropoiesis:
Vitamins, metals, hormones and nutrional factors