week 4 reader

Question 1

reticuloendothelium

Answer 1

• stationary WBC’s + macrophages inside blood vessels of specific organs that stand guard like “sentinels”
• part of body’s defense mechanisms
• reticuloendothelial cells are phagocytic (they can engulf and destroy bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances); they also can ingest worn-out or abnormal body cells

"reticulo" = network
"endothelium" = lining inside

Question 2

platelets (aka thrombocytes)

Answer 2

fragments of cells produced in bone marrow that circulate in blood, form blood clots + repair small damages

Question 3

pulmonary embolism

Answer 3

blockage of pulmonary artery by foreign matter or by blood clot

“embol” = a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream

Question 4

-penia (suffix)

Answer 4

scarcity of, a few, lack of

Question 5

leukopenia

Answer 5

decrease in the number of white blood cells (leukocytes) found in the blood, which places individuals at increased risk of infection

Question 6

neutropenia

Answer 6

disorder characterized by an abnormally low number of neutrophils (neutrophils usually make up 50-70% of circulating white blood cells and serve as the primary defense against infections by destroying bacteria in the blood)

Question 7

eosinophilopenia

Answer 7

a reduced level of circulating eosinophils

Question 8

basophilopenia

Answer 8

abnormal reduction in level of circulating basophils in blood

Question 9

lymphocytopenia

Answer 9

condition of having low level of lymphocytes in blood (lymphocytes are a WBC w/ important functions in the immune system)

Question 10

thrombocytopenia

Answer 10

• relative decrease of platelets in blood
• individuals with this condition may be more prone to bleeding, bruising
• common condition after being ill

Question 11

pancytopenia

Answer 11

• reduction in the number of RBC’s, WBC’s + platelets

- can be caused by total body radition or chemotherapy

Question 12

septicemia

Answer 12

• sepsis of bloodstream caused by bacteriemia (presence of bacteria in bloodstream)
• also a term used to refer to sepsis in general
• detected by a culture
• “sepsis” = a potentially deadly medical condition characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state caused by severe infection

Question 13

hypochronic anemia

Answer 13

RBC’s don’t stain as much b/c there is not as much hemoglobin + iron (red color comes from presence of hemoglobin, iron, and cobalt in vitamin B12)

Question 14

leukemia

Answer 14

• cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal proliferation of blood cells (usu. immature WBC’s (aka leukocytes))
• part of a broad group of diseases called hematological neoplasms

Question 15

hemoglobin

Answer 15

• oxygen-carrying molecule that’s inside RBC’s
• 6% heme (iron) and 94% globin
• iron binds with oxygen to carry it in the blood

Question 16

myoglobin

Answer 16

• an iron-containing protein that’s found in muscle fibers
• similar to hemoglobin but situated in myo + has higher affinity for oxygen than hemoglobin of blood (thus very red in nature)

Question 17

myocardial infarction (MI)

Answer 17

commonly known as a heart attack b/c contemporary theory is that blood clot cuts off circulation to muscle of heart, causing heart cells to die

“infarction” refers to tissue death (necrosis) caused by an obstruction of the tissue’s blood supply, which leads to a local lack of oxygen

Question 18

electrocardiogram (EKG)

Answer 18

• a test that checks for problems with the electrical activity of your heart
• translates the heart’s electrical activity into line tracings on paper (spikes + dips in the line tracings are called waves)
• acronym has a “k” because EKG was original discovered by a Dutch scientist and in Dutch it was spelled elektrokardiogramm

Question 19

ischemia

Answer 19

• a restriction in blood supply to tissues, causing a shortage of oxygen + glucose needed for cellular metabolism (to keep tissue alive), and resulting in damage to or dysfunction of tissues
• i.e. diabetic patients with ischemia in feet (toe can be completely mummified)

"isch" = restriction
"hema" = blood

Question 20

immunoglobulin

Answer 20

• AKA antibodies: a Y-shaped protein of the immune system produced by B-cells that is used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses

“globulin” = protein

Question 21

lymphatic system

Answer 21

• a complex network of lymphoid organs, lymph nodes, lymph ducts, and lymph vessels that produce + transport lymph fluid from tissues to circulatory system
• drains liquid from interstitial space and brings it back into circulation
• major component of immune system
• contains lymphocytes

Question 22

lymph node

Answer 22

• a gland/organ of the immune system, distributed widely throughout the body including the armpit + stomach and linked by lymphatic vessels that drain lymph (afferent lymphatic vessel brings lymph into lymph node to be filtered; efferent lymphatic vessel brings filtered lymph away from lymph node)
• act as filters or traps for foreign particles + are important in the proper functioning of the immune system
• contains specialized cells; packed tightly with lymphocytes + macrophages
• b/c they become inflamed or enlarged in various conditions, they may have clinical significance

Question 23

adenoids

Answer 23

• masses of lymphatic tissue in the nasopharynx (strategically located where nose meets throat)
• we all have adenoids at birth and in childhood, but as we head into adolescence they start to shrink. by adulthood, most people’s adenoids have disappeared.

Question 24

tonsils vs. adenoids

Answer 24

• tonsils are in the back of throat (whereas adenoids are higher up, behind nose)
• tonsils and adenoids are part of the lymphatic system – they protect from infection by trapping germs coming in through the mouth + nose
• sometimes your tonsils and adenoids become infected themselves (tonsillitis makes your tonsils sore + swollen; enlarged adenoids can be sore, make it hard to breathe + can cause ear problems)

Question 25

lymphedema

Answer 25

• accumulation of lymphatic fluid that causes tissue swelling, mostly in arms + legs (and occasionally other body parts)
• caused by missing or impaired primary vessels (primary), or damaged lymph bessels and removed lymph nodes (secondary)
  (image of woman’s swollen arm after mastectomy)

Question 26

lymphatic filariasis

Answer 26

• a parasitic and infectious tropical disease caused by thread-like parasitic filarial worms (commonly known as elephantiasis)
• an infected mosquito deposits larvae on the skin while biting and larvae enter wound; larvae migrate to lymphatic system where they grow, mate, and form nests; the nests cause blockages, resulting in swelling and fever

Question 27

edema

Answer 27

• swelling of any organ or tissue due to accumulation of excess lymph fluid, w/o an increase of number of cells in affected tissue
• can accumulate in almost any location in body, but most common sites are feet + ankles
• formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy