Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the main role of hemoglobin in blood?
What is the main role of hemoglobin in blood?
Which of the following components constitutes the largest portion of blood volume?
Which of the following components constitutes the largest portion of blood volume?
What is the primary function of platelets in the blood?
What is the primary function of platelets in the blood?
How are red blood cells controlled in their production?
How are red blood cells controlled in their production?
Signup and view all the answers
What role do albumins play in blood plasma?
What role do albumins play in blood plasma?
Signup and view all the answers
What happens to old red blood cells after their life span ends?
What happens to old red blood cells after their life span ends?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a key role of plasma proteins like fibrinogen?
What is a key role of plasma proteins like fibrinogen?
Signup and view all the answers
Which component of blood is primarily responsible for the body's defense against infections?
Which component of blood is primarily responsible for the body's defense against infections?
Signup and view all the answers
What occurs when there is a match between a donor's antigens and a recipient's antibodies?
What occurs when there is a match between a donor's antigens and a recipient's antibodies?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the potential consequence for Rh negative women pregnant with a second Rh positive baby?
What is the potential consequence for Rh negative women pregnant with a second Rh positive baby?
Signup and view all the answers
How does carbon monoxide affect oxygen transport in the body?
How does carbon monoxide affect oxygen transport in the body?
Signup and view all the answers
Which type of anemia is characterized by low iron levels leading to insufficient heme formation?
Which type of anemia is characterized by low iron levels leading to insufficient heme formation?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a major risk associated with leukemia?
What is a major risk associated with leukemia?
Signup and view all the answers
What treatment can Rh negative women receive to prevent an immune response during their pregnancy?
What treatment can Rh negative women receive to prevent an immune response during their pregnancy?
Signup and view all the answers
What condition results from extreme blood loss, such as from injuries or malaria?
What condition results from extreme blood loss, such as from injuries or malaria?
Signup and view all the answers
What key function is hindered by carbon monoxide exposure in a closed environment?
What key function is hindered by carbon monoxide exposure in a closed environment?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the primary role of hemoglobin in red blood cells?
What is the primary role of hemoglobin in red blood cells?
Signup and view all the answers
What happens to hemoglobin's oxygen binding in active tissues compared to the lungs?
What happens to hemoglobin's oxygen binding in active tissues compared to the lungs?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following is the correct order of stages in stopping blood loss?
Which of the following is the correct order of stages in stopping blood loss?
Signup and view all the answers
How can you help stop severe bleeding in an injured person?
How can you help stop severe bleeding in an injured person?
Signup and view all the answers
What causes agglutination in the bloodstream when the wrong blood type is transfused?
What causes agglutination in the bloodstream when the wrong blood type is transfused?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the function of the Rh antigen in blood typing?
What is the function of the Rh antigen in blood typing?
Signup and view all the answers
What occurs when Rh negative individuals are transfused with Rh positive blood?
What occurs when Rh negative individuals are transfused with Rh positive blood?
Signup and view all the answers
Which substance serves as a precursor to form fibrin during the coagulation process?
Which substance serves as a precursor to form fibrin during the coagulation process?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Blood Functions
- Blood transports various substances throughout the body.
- Blood maintains homeostasis, regulating body temperature (heat transported to skin's surface when hot) and pH of bodily fluids (using buffers like ion buffers and hemoglobin).
- Blood defends against infection through various white blood cells and antibodies.
- Clotting, through platelets and fibrinogen proteins, prevents excessive blood loss.
Blood Components
Cellular Portion (45% of volume)
- Red blood cells transport oxygen and some carbon dioxide.
- White blood cells defend against viral, bacterial, protist, and animal invaders, as well as virus-infected and cancerous cells.
- Platelets are crucial for blood clotting.
- Stem cells in red bone marrow are the source of all blood components.
Plasma (55% of volume)
- Water is the primary component (90%), acting as a biological solvent.
- Ions act as pH buffers maintaining cell function and volume, vital for excitable cells like muscles and nerves.
- Hormones, released by endocrine glands, are transported in the blood.
- Gases, including oxygen (small amount) and carbon dioxide (most), are dissolved in the plasma.
- Nutrients, such as amino acids, glucose, and lipids (often bound to globulin transport proteins), are carried in the plasma.
- Wastes, including ammonia, urea, and uric acid, are removed from the blood by the kidneys.
Plasma Proteins
- Albumins, produced by the liver, maintain osmotic balance between blood and extracellular fluid, thus maintaining blood volume.
- Antibodies, produced by white blood cells, bind to foreign substances (bacteria and viruses).
- Fibrinogen, produced by the liver, converts to fibrin, forming a network essential for blood clotting.
Red Blood Cells
- Red blood cells are disc-shaped, lack a nucleus and organelles, offering flexibility.
- Their lifespan averages 120 days.
- Old cells are broken down in the liver and spleen, recycling iron to the red bone marrow and using amino acids.
- The heme groups in red blood cells become part of bile.
- Erythropoietin hormone controls red blood cell production.
Blood Oxygen Carrying Capacity Homeostasis
- Oxygen levels are monitored by kidney cells.
- A decrease in oxygen triggers erythropoietin secretion by the kidneys.
- Erythropoietin stimulates red blood cell production in red bone marrow.
- Increased oxygen levels reduce erythropoietin secretion.
Hemoglobin
- Each red blood cell contains 300 million hemoglobin molecules, carrying 1.2 billion oxygen molecules.
- Hemoglobin comprises four polypeptide chains (alpha and beta), each with a heme group containing iron (Fe), which binds oxygen.
- Each hemoglobin molecule can bind four oxygen molecules.
Hemoglobin and Oxygen Binding
- Hemoglobin binds oxygen in the lungs where pH is high, blood oxygen concentration is high and temperature is low.
- Hemoglobin releases oxygen in active tissues (like exercising muscles) where pH is low, blood oxygen concentration is low and temperature is high.
- Carbon dioxide reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which dissociates into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions.
Stopping Blood Loss
-
Stages:
- Vascular spasm: smooth muscles constrict blood vessels to stop or reduce blood flow.
- Platelet plug formation: Damaged blood vessel collagen triggers platelets to aggregate, become sticky and clump together to seal the breach. Platelets contract, bringing the wound edges closer.
- Coagulation: Soluble fibrinogen is converted into insoluble fibrin, forming a clot that traps red blood cells and platelets.
First Aid for Bleeding
- Apply constant direct pressure to the wound.
- Elevate the injured limb above the heart.
- Apply pressure to the artery supplying the injured limb to reduce blood flow.
Blood Types and Antibodies
- Antigens: proteins/glycoproteins on cell membranes.
- B lymphocytes produce antibodies.
- Antibodies bind to foreign antigens.
- Incompatible blood types cause agglutination (clumping) of red blood cells.
- Agglutination can block small blood vessels damaging organs and potentially leading to death.
Rh Factor
- Rh antigen: present (positive) or absent (negative).
- Rh negative individuals can receive Rh positive blood once without issue, but subsequent exposure triggers antibody production causing agglutination.
- A-like and B-like antigens occur naturally, triggering antibodies already present.
- Rh-like antigens require prior exposure to trigger antibody production.
Blood Type Compatibility, Steps
- Identifying recipient's antigens
- Determining the recipient's antibodies
- Evaluating if donor antigens and recipient antibodies match; matching prevents agglutination (clumping).
Rh Factor and Pregnancy
- Rh-negative mothers carrying Rh-positive babies for the first time form antibodies.
- Second pregnancies with Rh-positive babies may lead to hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) where fetal red blood cells are destroyed causing anemia, jaundice and possible death.
- RhoGAM, administered to Rh-negative mothers before and after pregnancy, can prevent HDN by destroying fetal blood cells preventing the formation of antibodies in the mother.
Blood Disorders: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Carbon Monoxide competes with oxygen for hemoglobin binding sites.
- CO binds with hemoglobin firmly and for a long time, preventing oxygen from binding.
- CO poisoning occurs due to exposure to CO from sources such as burning fuel, wood, charcoal or tobacco , in closed spaces. This results in reduced oxygen transport leading to potentially fatal consequences.
Blood Disorders: Anemia
- Reduced oxygen carrying capacity leads to weakness and fatigue.
- Iron deficiency anemia is due to insufficient iron preventing the formation of heme groups in hemoglobin.
- Aplastic anemia results from bone marrow failing to produce enough red blood cells.
- Hemorrhagic anemia occurs from substantial blood loss due to injuries, or diseases like malaria.
- Sickle cell anemia involves abnormal red blood cell shape leading to early destruction by the body.
- Thalassemia occurs due to inadequate alpha or beta protein chains preventing the formation of functional hemoglobins, causing reduced oxygen-carrying capacity.
Blood Disorders: Leukemia
- Cancer of white blood cells causing uncontrolled division.
- Abnormal white blood cells crowd normal cells interfering with organ function.
- Aplastic anemia and defective clotting may result from leukemia.
- Internal bleeding and infection are possible complications of leukemia.
Blood Disorders: Hemophilia
- Hemophilia leads to uncontrolled bleeding.
- Possibly due to insufficient platelets, liver disease preventing the production of clotting proteins, vitamin K deficiency, or inherited defective clotting proteins.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
