10 Questions
What is the primary function of red blood cells?
To carry oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues
Which of the following is a characteristic of red blood cells in peripheral blood smears?
They appear as rounded, bright pink-stained cells
What is the term for a deficiency of all three cellular components of the blood?
Pancytopenia
What is the term for a deficiency of red blood cells?
Anaemia
What is the cause of the bright pink colour of red blood cells in peripheral blood smears?
The content of oxygen-carrying haemoglobin, which binds the acidic eosin dye
What is the significance of the biconcave shape of red blood cells?
It increases the surface area to volume ratio
What is the term for a deficiency of white blood cells?
Neutropenia
What is the term for a deficiency of platelets?
Thrombocytopenia
What is the presentation of a patient with bone marrow failure?
Tiredness, weakness, pallor, breathlessness, and tachycardia
What is the significance of the presence of hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, or lymphadenopathy in a patient with bone marrow failure?
It suggests a diagnosis of leukaemia
Study Notes
Blood Cells
- Blood has four major elements: red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), platelets (thrombocytes), and plasma.
- Red blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs to peripheral tissues.
- White blood cells have a defensive role, destroying infecting organisms and assisting in removal of dead or damaged tissues.
- Platelets are the first line of defense against damage to blood vessels, adhering to defects and participating in blood clotting.
Haemopoiesis
- Haemopoiesis is the formation of blood cellular components, derived from haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).
- The site of blood cell formation changes during fetal development, from the yolk sac to the liver and spleen.
- Fetal haemopoiesis occurs mainly in the liver, and later in the bone marrow.
- In adult life, blood cells are made in the bone marrow.
Red Blood Cells (Erythrocytes)
- Red blood cells are highly deformable and specialized for carrying oxygen.
- They are responsible for oxygen transport and appear as rounded, bright pink-stained cells in peripheral blood smears.
- They are 6.5–8.5 μm in diameter and have a biconcave shape, which maximizes their surface area/volume ratio for oxygen exchange.
Hereditary Spherocytosis
- Hereditary spherocytosis is caused by an abnormal arrangement of the internal cytoskeleton of red cells.
- A defect in spectrin or the ankyrin binding of spectrin leads to an unbraced red cell membrane that is easily deformed.
- Red cells do not form their normal biconcave disc shape, but appear round and convex.
- They are abnormally brittle and less deformable, leading to hemolysis and excessive breakdown of red blood cells.
Blood Film
- A blood film is made by smearing a sample of peripheral blood on a slide and staining it with a mixture of dyes.
- Four white blood cells (nucleated) of various types are seen against a background of numerous smaller anucleate red blood cells.
Learn about the characteristics of red and white blood cells, including their structure and formation. Understand how a blood film is made and what it reveals.
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