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Fundamentals of Blood - Anatomy & Physiology

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Terms in this set (25)

  • What are the main components of the cardiovascular system?
    Heart (pump), blood vessels (conducting hoses), and blood (fluid connective tissue).
  • What are the primary functions of blood?
    Transport dissolved gases, nutrients, hormones, and wastes; regulate pH and ion composition; restrict fluid loss at injury sites; defend against toxins and pathogens; stabilize body temperature.
  • What are the characteristics of blood?
    Temperature of 38ºC (100.4ºF), high viscosity, slightly alkaline with pH 7.35–7.45, and volume about 7% of body weight.
  • What is whole blood composed of?
    Plasma (fluid matrix) and formed elements (cells and cell fragments).
  • What percentage of blood volume does plasma make up and what is its main component?
    Plasma makes up about 55% of blood volume and is over 90% water.
  • What are the three types of formed elements in blood?
    Platelets, white blood cells (WBCs), and red blood cells (RBCs).
  • What is hemopoiesis?
    The process of producing formed elements (blood cells and fragments).
  • What are the major plasma proteins and their functions?
    Albumins (60%) regulate osmolarity and transport; Globulins (35%) include antibodies and transport proteins; Fibrinogen (4%) functions in clotting.
  • Where are most plasma proteins produced?
    More than 90% are made in the liver; antibodies are made by plasma cells.
  • What is the function of red blood cells (RBCs)?
    Transport oxygen and carbon dioxide using hemoglobin.
  • Describe the structure of a mature red blood cell.
    Small, biconcave disc shape, anucleate, lack mitochondria and ribosomes, live about 120 days.
  • What is hemoglobin composed of?
    Four globular protein subunits (two alpha and two beta chains), each with one heme containing an iron ion that binds oxygen.
  • What is erythropoiesis and where does it occur in adults?
    The formation of red blood cells, occurring in myeloid tissue (red bone marrow) in adults.
  • What hormone stimulates erythropoiesis and when is it secreted?
    Erythropoietin (EPO), secreted by kidneys and liver when oxygen levels in peripheral tissues are low (hypoxia).
  • How is hemoglobin recycled after RBCs are broken down?
    Macrophages engulf aged RBCs, break hemoglobin into heme and globin; iron is recycled, heme is converted to biliverdin then bilirubin, which is excreted.
  • What determines blood type?
    Presence or absence of surface antigens A, B, and Rh (D) on red blood cells.
  • What antibodies are present in the plasma of type A, B, AB, and O blood?
    Type A has anti-B antibodies; Type B has anti-A antibodies; Type AB has no anti-A or anti-B antibodies; Type O has both anti-A and anti-B antibodies.
  • What is agglutination in blood transfusion reactions?
    Clumping of foreign red blood cells caused by antibodies binding to incompatible surface antigens.
  • What are the three phases of hemostasis?
    Vascular phase (vascular spasm), platelet phase (platelet adhesion and aggregation), and coagulation phase (blood clotting).
  • What role do platelets play in hemostasis?
    Platelets adhere to damaged vessel walls, aggregate to form a plug, and release chemicals that promote clotting and vessel repair.
  • What are the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways in coagulation?
    Intrinsic pathway is activated by exposure to collagen; extrinsic pathway is triggered by tissue factor from damaged cells; both activate Factor X leading to clot formation.
  • What is the function of thrombin in coagulation?
    Converts fibrinogen to insoluble fibrin and activates positive feedback to accelerate clotting.
  • What substances inhibit clotting to regulate hemostasis?
    Antithrombin-III, heparin, thrombomodulin, protein C, and prostacyclin.
  • Why are calcium ions and vitamin K important in clotting?
    Calcium ions are required for all clotting pathways; vitamin K is necessary for synthesis of four clotting factors.
  • What is fibrinolysis?
    The gradual process of dissolving a blood clot by plasmin digesting fibrin strands.