Blood Components and Functions
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1
What are the three major functions of blood?
Transportation, regulation, and protection.
2
What are the two major components of blood?
Plasma and formed elements.
3
What percentage of blood is plasma?
Approximately 55%.
4
What percentage of blood is formed elements?
Approximately 45%.
5
What is plasma?
The liquid portion of blood, consisting of approximately 90% water.
6
What are the three major plasma proteins?
Albumin, globulins, and fibrinogen.
7
What is the function of albumin?
Maintains osmotic pressure and helps regulate fluid balance.
8
What is the function of globulins?
Transport substances and include antibodies that fight infection.
9
What is the function of fibrinogen?
Helps form blood clots.
10
What are formed elements?
Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
11
What is hematocrit?
The percentage of total blood volume occupied by red blood cells.
12
What is hemoglobin?
An iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.
13
What is the relationship between hematocrit and hemoglobin?
Both help assess red blood cells and oxygen-carrying capacity.
14
What are erythrocytes?
Red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen.
15
What is the function of erythrocytes?
Transport oxygen and some carbon dioxide.
16
What protein do erythrocytes contain?
Hemoglobin.
17
What shape are erythrocytes?
Biconcave discs, increasing their surface area for gas exchange.
18
Do mature erythrocytes have a nucleus?
No, mature red blood cells lack a nucleus.
19
Where are red blood cells produced?
Red bone marrow.
20
What is the average lifespan of a red blood cell?
Approximately 120 days.
21
What are leukocytes?
White blood cells that protect the body against infection.
22
What are the five types of leukocytes?
Neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils.
23
What is the function of neutrophils?
Engulf and destroy bacteria; first responders to many infections.
24
What is the function of lymphocytes?
Provide specific immunity through B cells and T cells.
25
What is the function of monocytes?
Become macrophages that engulf pathogens and cellular debris.
26
What is the function of eosinophils?
Fight parasites and participate in allergic reactions.
27
What is the function of basophils?
Release histamine and heparin during inflammation and allergic reactions.
28
Which white blood cell is most abundant?
Neutrophils.
29
What are platelets?
Cell fragments that help stop bleeding and form blood clots.
30
Where do platelets come from?
Large bone marrow cells called megakaryocytes.
31
What is erythropoiesis?
The production of red blood cells in red bone marrow.
32
What hormone stimulates erythropoiesis?
Erythropoietin (EPO).
33
Which organ primarily produces erythropoietin?
The kidneys.
34
What stimulates the kidneys to release erythropoietin?
Low oxygen levels in the blood.
35
What is anemia?
A condition involving insufficient red blood cells or hemoglobin, reducing oxygen-carrying capacity.
36
What is polycythemia?
An abnormally high concentration of red blood cells.
37
What is fibrinolysis?
The process of breaking down and dissolving a blood clot.
38
What is plasmin?
An enzyme that breaks down fibrin during fibrinolysis.
39
What is a thrombus?
A blood clot that forms and remains inside a blood vessel.
40
What is an embolus?
A traveling object, often a blood clot, that can block another blood vessel.
41
What is the difference between a thrombus and an embolus?
A thrombus stays where it forms; an embolus travels through the bloodstream.
42
What is vascular spasm?
Constriction of a damaged blood vessel to reduce blood loss.
43
What is atherosclerosis?
Fatty plaque buildup inside artery walls that narrows the lumen.
44
What is hemostasis?
The process that stops bleeding after a blood vessel is damaged.
45
What are the three steps of hemostasis?
Vascular spasm, platelet plug formation, and coagulation.
46
What happens during vascular spasm?
The damaged blood vessel constricts to reduce blood loss.
47
What happens during platelet plug formation?
Platelets stick to the damaged area and gather to form a temporary plug.
48
What happens during coagulation?
Fibrin forms a mesh that traps blood cells and strengthens the clot.
49
What is prothrombin?
An inactive protein converted into thrombin during clotting.
50
What is thrombin?
An enzyme that converts fibrinogen into fibrin.
51
What is fibrinogen?
A soluble plasma protein converted into fibrin during coagulation.
52
What is fibrin?
Insoluble protein threads that form the mesh of a blood clot.
53
What happens after a blood clot is no longer needed?
Fibrinolysis breaks down the clot.
54
What is the ABO blood group system?
A blood classification system based on A and B antigens on red blood cells.
55
What determines whether blood is type A?
A antigens on red blood cells and anti-B antibodies in plasma.
56
What determines whether blood is type B?
B antigens on red blood cells and anti-A antibodies in plasma.
57
What determines whether blood is type AB?
Both A and B antigens and neither anti-A nor anti-B antibodies.
58
What determines whether blood is type O?
Neither A nor B antigens and both anti-A and anti-B antibodies.
59
What is the Rh factor?
A blood antigen, commonly the D antigen, used to classify blood as positive or negative.
60
What does Rh positive mean?
The Rh D antigen is present on red blood cells.
61
What does Rh negative mean?
The Rh D antigen is absent on red blood cells.
62
What is the universal red blood cell donor?
O negative (O−).
63
What is the universal red blood cell recipient?
AB positive (AB+).
64
Why is O negative the universal RBC donor?
Its red blood cells lack A, B, and Rh D antigens.
65
Why is AB positive the universal RBC recipient?
It has no anti-A or anti-B antibodies and is Rh positive.
66
What is agglutination?
The clumping of red blood cells caused by an antigen-antibody reaction.
67
What is hemolysis?
The destruction or rupture of red blood cells.
68
What happens during an incompatible blood transfusion?
Recipient antibodies attack donor red blood cells, potentially causing agglutination and hemolysis.
69
What antibodies are present in type A blood?
Anti-B antibodies.
70
What antibodies are present in type B blood?
Anti-A antibodies.
71
What antibodies are present in type AB blood?
Neither anti-A nor anti-B antibodies.
72
What antibodies are present in type O blood?
Both anti-A and anti-B antibodies.
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