Red Blood Cell Membrane Proteins Quiz

A type of anemia characterized by the premature destruction of red blood cells (RBCs) in the body.

A group of anemias where the defect causing hemolysis lies within the red blood cell itself.

A group of anemias where the defect causing hemolysis lies outside the red blood cell.

A type of intracorpuscular hemolytic anemia caused by defects in the red blood cell membrane.

A type of intracorpuscular hemolytic anemia caused by defects in the enzymes found in the red blood cell.

A type of extracorpuscular hemolytic anemia caused by immune system attacks on red blood cells.

A test that measures the amount of unconjugated (indirect) bilirubin in the blood.

A test that measures the amount of hemoglobin in the blood.

A test that measures the amount of hemoglobin in the urine.

A test that measures the amount of haptoglobin in the blood.

A protein network that forms the inner skeleton of red blood cells, providing structural support and flexibility. Imagine it as a mesh or net that gives the cell its shape.

A key protein in the red blood cell membrane skeleton, forming a hexagonal lattice that gives the cell its shape and stability. The building blocks of this lattice are spectrin tetramers, hexamers, and double tetramers.

Junctional complexes are found within the red blood cell membrane skeleton and play a crucial role in maintaining the cell's integrity. They contain short F-actin filaments and protein 4.1, which cross-link spectrin filaments.

Ankyrin is a protein that binds to spectrin filaments and helps anchor the membrane skeleton to the cell's plasma membrane. It plays a vital role in maintaining the cell's shape and integrity.

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS), hereditary elliptocytosis (HE), hereditary pyropoikilocytosis (HPP), and Southeast Asian ovalocytosis (SAO) are all inherited hemolytic anemias caused by defects in the red blood cell membrane. These defects affect proteins involved in the membrane's structure, leading to increased fragility and destruction of the red blood cells.

A condition where red blood cells are abnormally shaped like spheres, often caused by hereditary spherocytosis or acquired factors like oxidant injury.

A condition where red blood cells are abnormally shaped like ellipses or ovals, often caused by hereditary elliptocytosis, iron deficiency, or megaloblastic anemia.

Red blood cells that exhibit an unusual or irregular shape, often associated with fragmentation syndrome, microangiopathic and macroangiopathic hemolytic anemias.

Red blood cells with a mouth-like central pallor, often caused by hereditary stomatocytosis or related disorders.

Characterized by sickle-shaped red blood cells (sickle cells), primarily due to sickle cell anemia or related syndromes.

Presence of parasitic organisms within red blood cells, commonly associated with malaria, babesiosis, or bartonellosis.

A condition where red blood cells have numerous dense blue staining granules visible under a microscope, often linked to thalassemias, lead poisoning, or unstable hemoglobins.

Red blood cells with irregularly spaced projections or spicules, often caused by acute hepatic necrosis, uremia, or infantile pyknocytosis.

Red blood cells that have a central area of pallor resembling a 'bullseye', often associated with hemoglobinopathies like S, C, D, and E, thalassemias, and hereditary xerocytosis.

A wide range of conditions affecting the red blood cell membrane that can result in normal or nonspecific red cell morphology.

A type of inherited hemolytic anemia characterized by abnormally shaped red blood cells due to defects in the red blood cell membrane.

A type of hereditary stomatocytosis where red blood cells experience increased swelling and water content due to abnormal cation permeability, leading to an accumulation of sodium ions inside the cells.

A type of hereditary stomatocytosis where red blood cells lose potassium ions, leading to dehydration and a characteristic "Xerocytosis" which means "dry cell" in Greek.

A type of inherited hemolytic anemia characterized by abnormally shaped red blood cells with a central slit of pallor. Often, the cells appear target-shaped.

Red blood cell membrane defects causing a spherical shape, often due to problems with spectrin-ankyrin-band 3 associations and spectrin-inner layer of the phospholipid bilayer.

Red blood cell membrane defects leading to an elliptical shape, often due to problems with spectrin dimer self-association and spectrin-actin-protein 4.1 complex formation.

A severe form of Hereditary Elliptocytosis with fragile red blood cells, often with a fragmented appearance.

Red blood cell membrane defects causing the formation of thorny projections on the cell, often due to mutations in the gene for band 3 protein.

Defects in the red blood cell membrane primarily affecting vertical interactions between proteins, leading to a spherical shape.

Defects in the red blood cell membrane primarily affecting horizontal interactions between proteins, leading to a more elliptical or fragmented shape.

A genetic deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), an enzyme involved in red blood cell (RBC) metabolism. This deficiency makes RBCs more vulnerable to oxidative damage, leading to hemolysis, especially in response to certain triggers like anti-malarial drugs.

A severe form of thalassemia, a group of genetic blood disorders characterized by reduced or absent production of globin chains, essential components of hemoglobin. This leads to ineffective erythropoiesis (red blood cell production) and chronic anemia.

A deficiency in the enzyme pyruvate kinase, crucial for red blood cell energy production. This leads to decreased ATP (energy) in RBCs, making them more susceptible to damage and hemolysis.

Hereditary Stomatocytosis and Hereditary Xerocytosis are both inherited hemolytic anemias caused by defects in the red blood cell membrane. The defects affect the membrane's permeability to sodium and potassium ions. This leads to either swelling (Hydrocytosis) or dehydration (Xerocytosis) of the red blood cells.

Hereditary stomatocytosis is a type of hemolytic anemia, which means red blood cells are destroyed prematurely. This leads to anemia, as the body lacks enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen.