Blood Physiology and Respiratory Regulation

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering blood components, clotting mechanisms, erythrocyte recycling, respiratory regulation, and gas transport based on the lecture review.

Plasma Albumin

A plasma protein responsible for maintaining fluid balance between blood and tissues.

Hemoglobin

The oxygen-transporting protein in red blood cells that contains the mineral iron.

Plasma

The liquid blood component responsible for the transport of dissolved substances.

Platelets

Formed elements of the blood that function in clot formation.

Leukocytes

White blood cells that function in immune defense.

Erythrocytes

Red blood cells responsible for oxygen transport.

Eosinophils

A type of leukocyte that becomes elevated during allergies and parasitic infections.

Clot Formation Sequence

The ordered sequence of clotting events: Prothrombin activator forms $\rightarrow$ thrombin is produced $\rightarrow$ fibrinogen is converted $\rightarrow$ fibrin mesh forms.

Plasmin

The substance responsible for breaking down the fibrin network of a blood clot after a wound heals.

Red Blood Cell Recycling

The breakdown process in which iron is reused (including in bone marrow) and the heme pigment is converted into bilirubin for elimination.

Bilirubin

The eliminated breakdown product derived from the heme pigment during red blood cell recycling.

Peripheral Chemoreceptors

Chemoreceptors located in the carotid and aortic bodies that respond directly to a marked fall in arterial oxygen by increasing the rate and depth of breathing.

Inspiratory Center

The brainstem respiratory group that provides the basic inspiratory drive to the diaphragm during quiet breathing.

Heme

The iron-containing portion of hemoglobin to which oxygen binds.

Airway Smooth Muscle Relaxation

The relaxation of bronchial smooth muscle, which causes bronchiolar diameter to increase.

Carbon Dioxide Blood Transport

The three forms through which carbon dioxide travels in the blood: dissolved $CO_2$, bound to hemoglobin, and bicarbonate ions (which carries the greatest proportion).

Bicarbonate Ions

The form of carbon dioxide in the blood that carries the greatest proportion of total transported $CO_2$.