Introduction to Hematology Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the basics of hematology including blood components, cell lineages, red blood cell pathologies, white blood cell variations, and platelet characteristics.

Serum

The component of blood that is without clotting factors.

Plasma

The component of blood with clotting factors, which is comprised of approximately $92\%$ water.

Albumin

The most plentiful protein found in blood plasma.

Acute Phase Reactants

Substances that increase (positive) or decrease (negative) their plasma concentration by at least $25\%$ in response to cytokines.

Blasts (Stem Cells)

Immature or progenitor cells that are always larger than their offspring.

Hemoglobin-A

The most common hemoglobin in adults, consisting of two alpha and two beta globin units.

Hemoglobin-F

A fetal hemoglobin consisting of two alpha and two gamma units that has a high affinity for $O_2$ and does not offload it easily.

Heme

A component of hemoglobin featuring ferrous iron $2+$ at the center surrounded by a protoporphyrin complex.

Reticulocyte

An immature erythrocyte containing residual ribosomal RNA; elevated levels indicate blood loss or red blood cell destruction.

Howell Jolly bodies

Red blood cell inclusions consisting of nuclear DNA remnants, signifying an absent or dysfunctional spleen.

Basophilic stippling

Blue-stained ribosomes on the peripherals of an RBC, seen in lead/heavy metal poisoning, thalassemias, and alcohol abuse.

Heinz bodies

Red blood cell inclusions consisting of denatured hemoglobin remains.

Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)

A measurement of the mean volume size of red blood cells.

Red cell distribution of width (RDW)

A measurement indicating the distribution of sizes of red blood cells.

Anisocytosis

A condition characterized by a high distribution of red blood cell sizes.

Poikilocytosis

The presence of abnormally shaped red blood cells in the blood.

Spherocytes

Small, dense, dark red sphere-shaped RBCs lacking central pallor that have increased osmotic fragility.

Schistocytes

Broken or fragmented red blood cells indicating a process that is actively destroying RBCs, such as hemolytic anemia.

Tear drop cells

Red blood cells shaped like a tear drop, signifying extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH).

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH)

The production of red blood cells outside of the bone marrow, such as in the liver, spleen, or lungs.

RBC rouleaux

A stack of biconcave disc RBCs stuck together like poker chips, often caused by increased fibrinogen during inflammation.

Hypochromic

Red blood cells that appear pale in more than $\frac{1}{3}$ of the cell, signifying iron deficiency.

Hypersegmented neutrophils

Neutrophils with $5$ or more lobes, typically caused by B12 or folate deficiency.

Band cell

An immature neutrophil with a bilobed nucleus that looks like a band.

Eosinophilia

An increased amount of eosinophils in the blood often categorized by the NAACP mnemonic: neoplastic, asthma, allergic reactions, collagen vascular disease, and parasites.

Basophilia

An unusual increase in basophils seen in conditions like CML, hypersensitivity, or hypothyroidism.

Monocytes

Leukocytes that perform phagocytosis and wear a pathogen's antigen on their surface to alert lymphocytes.

Plasma cells

Differentiated B cells that have learned to produce a specific antibody for their entire lifespan.

Natural killer cells (NK cells)

Part of the innate immune system that automatically detects and kills cancer or virus-infected cells without training.

Megakaryocytes

Large bone marrow cells from which platelets (thrombocytes) originate.

Thrombocytopenia

A condition of low platelet counts that carries a high risk of bleeding.