Blood and its Components

Blood

• The cardiovascular system transports O2, CO2, nutrients, hormones, and cellular waste
• The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart, blood, and blood vessels
• Elements of blood: Whole blood, RBC, WBC, platelets, plasma, and formed elements.
• Formed elements are cellular elements including erythrocytes(RBC), leukocytes (WBC), and thrombocytes (platelets)
• Hematocrit is 45% RBC
• Buffy coat is less than 1% WBC
• Blood plasma carries material
• 55% of blood is plasma, which is 92% water and 7% protein
• Hemoglobin contains heme which is an iron pigment, that binds to O2
• Hemoglobin also contains globin that binds to heme
• Platelets are cellular fragments that assist in blood clotting, and are also known as thrombocytes
• Neutrophils are essential for the immune system and fight bodily infections
• Eosinophils help destroy multi-cellular parasites and are involved in allergic reactions
• Basophils trigger an inflammatory response and are white blood cells
• Natural Killer cells destroy tumor or virus infected cells
• Macrophages trigger the immune response and kill foreign substances in the body
• LDL (low-density-lipoprotein) can cause plaque buildup in arteries due to high cholesterol
• Blood plasma contains protein: albumin, globulins, fibrinogen and other elements: water, ions, waste, vitamins, hormones
• Blood tests measure:
• RBC count- # of RBC
• WBC count- # of WBC
• Platelet count- # of platelets
• Hematocrit-% of blood thats RBC
• WBC differential- % of each type of leukocyte
• Hemoglobin- amount of hemoglobin
• O2 saturation-% of hemoglobin bound to Oxygen
• Hemoglobin Alc- average blood glucose concentration over 2-3 months
• Blood Types and Antigens Present:
• A+ has A (RhD) antigen present
• A- has A antigen present
• B+ has B (RhD) antigen present
• B- has B antigen present
• AB+ has A, B, (RhD) antigen present
• AB- has A, B antigen present
• 0+ has (RhD) antigen present
• 0- has nothing but is a universal donor
• Blood Types and Antibodies Present:
• A+ has anti-b antibody present
• A- has anti-b, anti-rhd antibodies present
• B+ has anti-a antibody present
• B- has anti-a, anti-rhd antibodies present
• AB+ has no antibodies present but is a universal recipient
• AB- has anti-rhd antibody present
• 0+ has anti-a, anti-b antibodies present
• 0- has ani-a, anti-b, anti-rhd antibodies present, and is a universal donor
• O- is a universal donor because there is nothing in the donors blood for the recipients antibodies to attack
• AB+ is a universal recipient because they have no antibodies to a, b, or rhd; therefore they are able to accept any kind of blood

Heart

• Blood Cycle: Left ventricle -> aortic valve -> aorta -> arteries -> arterioles -> capillaries (O2/CO2) exchange -> venules -> veins -> superior/inferior vena cava -> right atrium -> tricuspid valve -> right ventricle -> pulmonary valve -> pulmonary trunk -> pulmonary arteries -> lungs (CO2/O2 exchange) -> pulmonary veins -> left atrium -> mitral (bicuspid) valve -> left ventricle -> (etc.)
• The right side of the heart goes to the pulmonary circuit
• The left side of the heart goes to the systemic circuit
• Atrioventricular and semilunar valves during the systolic and diastolic phases of the heartbeat:
• Atrioventricular Valve
• Systolic- closed
• Diastolic- open
• Semilunar Valve
• Systolic- open
• Diastolic- closed
• Intercalated discs in the heart allow synchronized contractions via gap junctions
• The SA node is located in the right upper chamber of the heart
• The electrical pathway for a heartbeat: SA node -> atria -> AV node -> slight delay -> atrioventricular bundle -> left/right bundle branches -> Purkinje fibers

Blood Vessels

• The coronary circuit circulates blood in the vessels that supply the heart muscle, myocardium
• The pulmonary circuit carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs, picks up oxygen, releases CO2, and goes to the left side of the heart as oxygenated blood
• Arteries That Supply Blood:
• Right coronary artery- right atrium, right ventricle, sa node
• Left coronary artery- left atrium, left ventricle, interventricular septum
• Right marginal artery- right ventricle
• Left marginal artery- left ventricle
• Anterior interventricular artery- anterior of both ventricles, and interventricular septum
• Posterior interventricular artery- posterior of both ventricles, and septum
• Circumflex artery- left atrium, lateral and posterior left ventricle
• Basilar artery- brain stem, cerebellum, and posterior brain
• Middle cerebral artery- lateral surfaces of cerebral hemisphere (speech, motor, sensory areas)
• Anterior cerebral artery- medial portions of frontal lobe and superior medial parietal lobes
• Posterior cerebral artery- occipital, inferior temporal lobes (vision)
• Subclavian artery- arms, part of brain
• Axillary artery- armpit, upper arm
• Brachial artery- upper arm
• Ulnar artery- medial forearm and hand
• Radial artery- lateral forearm and hand (where pulse is taken)
• Celiac trunk- FIRST MAJOR BRANCH OF ABDOMINAL AORTA BRANCHES
• Splenic artery- spleen
• Common hepatic artery- liver, stomach
• Superior mesenteric artery- small intestine, ⅔ of large intestine
• Renal artery- kidneys
• Gonadal artery- testes, ovaries
• Inferior mesenteric artery- last ⅓ of large intestine
• Internal iliac artery- pelvic organs, gluteal muscles
• External iliac artery- into leg as femoral artery
• Femoral artery- main thigh artery
• Popliteal artery- behind knee
• Anterior tibial artery- front of leg and foot
• Dorsalis pedis artery- top of foot
• Posterior tibial artery- back of leg and foot
• The first 3 artery branches off the aortic arch:
• Brachiocephalic trunk (splits at right subclavian and right common carotid)
• Left common carotid artery
• Left subclavian artery
• A cool medical application of the median cubital vein is it's a common sight for drawing blood
• A cool medical application of the great saphenous vein is it used in coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG)
• The hepatic portal system transports nutrient rich blood from digestive system to liver to filter blood, and detoxify it

Lymphatic and Immune System

• Main functions of the lymphatic system: carries fluid back to heart, transport immune cells, drains extracellular fluid back to blood
• Organs of the lymphatic system: lymph nodes, thymus, spleen, tonsils, bone marrow, lymphatic vessels, appendix
• Lymph is extracellular fluid from body tissue
• Chyle is lipid rich lymph from intestine
• Tonsils help kids' bodies recognize, destroy, and develop immunity to common pathogens as we're growing up
• Lymph nodes filter lymph fluid, monitor, and cleanse lymph
• The spleen filters blood, removes blood-borne pathogens, and removes old blood cells
• Barrier defenses protect against pathogens using mechanical (physical; skin, dry physical barrier) mucous membranes: trap and neutralize pathogens
• Chemical defenses protect against pathogens through sweat and sebaceous glands: low ph, contains antimicrobial compounds
• The innate defense system is an internal defense
• The adaptive defense system is a specialized defense system that targets specific foreign invaders
• PAMPs (Pathogen associated molecular patterns) are carbohydrates, lipoproteins, nucleic acids and parts of a pathogen
• DAMPs (Damage associated molecular patterns) are parts of a damaged cell, heat shock proteins, molecules normally found in cells (ATP, RNA, DNA)
• The inflammatory response aids in an infection through histamine release to increase blood flow, prevent spread of infection, and attract immune cells
• The complement system is a series of proteins that work together to fight off infections (protein bombs)
• Types of white blood cells:
• Dendritic cells- antigen presenting cells, detects pathogens in tissue close to external surface
• Cytotoxic T cells- destroy tumor/virus cells by inducing apoptosis
• Helper T cells- secrete chemicals to increase body's immune response
• Regulatory T cells- shut down team and prevent autoimmune diseases
• Plasma cells- B cells that have been activated by plasma
• Memory cells- specialized immune cells that provide long term protection by remembering antigens after initial exposure to pathogen
• An antigen is a substance, usually a protein, that scares the immune system, triggering response from body
• An antibody is a protein produced to protect against antigens, and naturalizes specific antigens
• Some vaccines contains foreign WEAKENED antigens entering the body triggering an immune response, resulting is some symptoms similar to illness
• The flu shot does not give you the flu

Respiratory System

• Main functions of your respiratory system: provide oxygen to body tissue, olfaction, and speech
• In the conducting zone: movement of oxygen/air; cleans, filters, humidifies, air
• In the respiratory zone: conducts O2 gas exchange
• The tissue layer inside your nasal cavity is ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium, and it is beneficial because it cleans the air entering the airway
• Functions of these structures:
• Nose: passageway for air
• Nasal conchae: warm and humidify incoming air
• Auditory tube: balances pressure between middle ear
• Larynx: sound production; makes sound, stop food from entering lungs
• Epiglottis: closes off larynx when swallowing
• Vocal folds (cords): vibrate to produce sound
• Trachea: connects larynx to bronchi, is cartilaginous, and brings in air
• Main bronchi: transports air from trachea to lungs
• Alveolus: gas exchange happens in the aveolus sacs
• Pleural cavity/fluid: space between visceral and parietal pleurae
• Muscles that contract to cause the pressure gradient that helps bring in or push out the air from your lungs: the diaphragm and intercostal muscles
• Pressure Gradient in Respiration:
• A pressure gradient means there's a difference in pressure between two areas
• Air naturally moves from a place with higher pressure to a place with lower pressure
• The diaphragm relaxes and moves upward
• The chest cavity gets smaller
• This makes the pressure inside the lungs go up
• There's a higher pressure inside than outside
• So, air flows out of the lungs-again, from high to low pressure
• The diaphragm (a muscle below your lungs) contracts and moves downward
• The rib cage also lifts a bit
• This makes the chest cavity bigger, so the pressure inside the lungs drops
• There's lower pressure inside the lungs than outside (in the air)
• So, air rushes in—from high pressure (outside) to low pressure (inside)