Cardio I Lecture

4 Main parts of blood and what they contain/their fxn

1. Plasma

• respiratory gases, nutrients, metabolic wastes, fluids

• proteins

  • albumin: contribute to osmotic pressure, very abundant

  • fibrinogen: contributes to clotting

2. White blood cells: defense

3. Platelets: cell fragments that help w/ clotting

4. Red blood cells

• hematocrit: percent of blood that are rbc, ~43%

__ makes blood cells, production regulated by

Erythrocytes

Leukocytes

Thrombocytes

Bone marrow makes blood cells

Erythrocytes: rbc

Leukocytes: wbc

Thrombocytes: platelets

Erythrocytes and characteristics (3)

Red blood cells

1. Cells specialized for gas transport

• mostly hemoglobin, which carries O2 and CO2

• biconcave shape: high area for diffusion

2. Lack of organelles = short life

• lack of repair mechanisms

• cells live only ~120 days

3. Born in bone marrow, die in spleen

Erythropoietin __ rbc production. What is it?

Increases

Erythropoietin/EPO

• hormone

• made by kidney

• detects changes in O2 levels

• stimulates rbc production

Causes of anemia (5)

1. Dietary lack of iron, vitamin B12, or folic acid

2. Bone marrow failure due to toxic drugs or cancer

3. Blood loss (hemorrhage)

4. Kidney disease → lack of production of EPO

5. Sickle-cell disease: crystallization of hemoglobin causes damage to rbc

Leukemia

• Cancer of bone marrow, produce abnormal wbc at expense of other things

• Symptoms include anemia, inability to fight infection, and excessive bleeding

To improve performance by boosting blood oxygen, endurance athletes may try…

Dangers?

1. Autotransfusion: remove their blood, savr rbc, inject back in before event

2. Recombinant human EPO

3. Live at high altitude

• low pressure of oxygen stimulates EPO → rbc production

Unnaturally viscous blood: blood clots, stroke, heart attack

Pulmonary circulation

Right side of heart pumps blood to lungs and back

Systemic circulation

left side of heart pumps blood to rest of body and back