Basic Blood

Question 1

Blood consists of basically two parts, what are they?

Answer 1

Plasma—protein rich fluid

Formed elements (cells/cell fragments)

• RBC
• WBC
• platelets

Question 2

What is Hematocrit?

What is the difference in males and females?

Answer 2

Volume of RBC in a blood sample

Females have lower percentage of RBCs

Question 3

When placed in a centrifuge, blood separates into three layers, what are they and what is in them?

Answer 3

1. Plasma 55% : contains water protein (mostly albumin) and electrolytes
2. Buffy coat <1% : contains platelets and WBCs
3. Erythrocytes 44% : contains just RBCs

Question 4

Interstitial fluid is derived from what?

Answer 4

Blood plasma

Question 5

What is serum?

Answer 5

Serum=blood plasma - clotting factors

Question 6

Describe albumin

Answer 6

• main protein constituent in plasma
• made in the liver
• source of major colloid osmotic pressure
• carrier for thyroxine, bilirubin, and barbiturates

Question 7

There are 2 types of globulins, describe them both.

Answer 7

1. Immunoglobulins (“yimmunoglobuilins”) are functional immunesystem molecules
2. Non-immunoglobulins (alpha and beta) include fibronectin, lipoproteins, and coagulation factors, which all help to maintain the osmotic pressure and serve as carrier proteins.

Question 8

Describe fibronectin

Answer 8

• Largest plasma protein
• made in the liver
• fibrinogen is soluble, converted to monomers, then polymerized to form insoluble fibrin.

Question 9

Describe erythrocytes

Answer 9

• no nucleus or organelles
• biconcave disc—provides extreme flexibility
• line up as rouleaux
• live for 120 days
• always 7-8 microns, can be used a rulers

Question 10

What are reticulocytes?

Answer 10

• Immature RBCs that have been released from the bone marrow.
• still have nuclear material or organelles
• mature with in 24-48 hours
• this can be a marker for disease process.

Question 11

What are the integral membrane proteins in the erythrocyte skeleton? Describe them.

Answer 11

1. Glycophorin C—attaches underlying cytoskeleton network to the cell membrane (band 4.1 protein complex)
2. Band 3 protein—most abundant, binds hemoglobin and acts as anchoring site for cytoskeletal proteins (ankyrin and band 4.2)

Question 12

What are the peripheral membrane proteins involved in the erythrocyte cytoskeleton and how to they interact?

Answer 12

They create 2D hexagonal lattice network

This lattice is composed of alpha-spectrin and Beta-spectrin.

Spectrin filaments are anchored by Band 4.1 proteins complex (interact with glycophorin C) and Ankyrin protein complex (ankyrin and band 4.2 that interacts with band 3)

Question 13

Anemia is caused by…

What can lead to anemia?

Answer 13

Accelerated destruction of blood cells.

Can be brought about by insufficient dietary vitamin B12, Fe, or folic acid.

Question 14

What is hereditary spherocytosis?

Answer 14

• autosomal dominant mutation
• affects ankyrin complex (band 3, band 4.2, etc)
• defective anchor proteins»>membrane peels off
• lose biconcavity, now just spherical

Question 15

What is hereditary elliptocytosis?

Answer 15

• autosomal dominant mutation
• spectrin-spectrin lateral bonds and spectrin-ankyrin-band 4.1 protein junctions are defective
• membrane fails to rebound, elongates
• leads to elliptical erythrocytes

Question 16

How are hemolytic anemias and jaundice related?

Answer 16

Yellows appearance can be caused by the destruction of circulating erythrocytes.

Common in newborns because new born liver is inefficient

Question 17

Describe sickle-cell anemia

Answer 17

• Single point mutation
• Glu»>Val
• cell aggregate
• more viscous because of shape, more fragile

Question 18

Granulocytes include which leukocytes?

Answer 18

Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils

Question 19

Neutrophils

Answer 19

• dark nuclear staining, faint cytoplasmic
• multi lobed nucleus
• function in acute inflammation and tissue injury
• Can leave circulatory system
• has azurophilic granules, specific granules, and tertiary granules.

Question 20

Azurophilic granules

Answer 20

Also known as Primary granules

Have lysosomes containing myeloperoxidase (MPO)

Question 21

Specific granules

Answer 21

Also known as secondary granules

Have various enzymes, complement activators, and antimicrobial peptides.

Question 22

Tertiary granules

Answer 22

Very small, used to move neutrophil out of the vasculature.

Phosphatase and metalloproteinases.

Question 23

Eosinophils

Answer 23

• same size as neutrophils
• stain very pink with eosin
• bi-lobed nuclei
• have large elongated specific and azurophilic granules.
• mediate chronic inflammation/parasitic infections

Question 24

Basophils

Answer 24

• same size as neutrophils

- lobed nucleus but cannot see because of all the granules.

Question 25

Lymphocytes

Answer 25

- main function cell of immune system - small, medium, and large - intense staining of spherical nucleus with thin pale blue rim of cytoplasm - not terminally differentiated

Question 26

Three functionally distinct lymphocytes, what are they?

Answer 26

T- lymphocytes, undergo differentiation in the thymus B-lymphocytes, form and undergo differentiation in bone marrow Natural killer cells B and T lymphocytes, you cant tell the difference between them on a slide

Question 27

Monocytes

Answer 27

- Largest of the WBC - Heart shaped nucleus - small azurophilic granules - differentiate into phagocytes in different tissues

Question 28

Thrombocytes

Answer 28

- fragments of cells - broken off of megakaryocyte - platelets

Question 29

Clot formation

Answer 29

1. Damage in vasculature promotes platelet adhesion 2. Platelets release serotonin—vasoconstrictor, smooth muscle contracts to decrease blood flow to the injury. ADP and thomboxane, calls more platelets>>>primary hemostatic plug 3. Platelets provide a surface for the conversion of soluble fibrinogen to fibrin. 4. Fibrin forms mesh over the initial plug, traps platelets>>>becomes secondary hemostatic plug