Topic 24- Blood and Immunity

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41 Terms

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How many liters of blood does the average human have?

About 5 liters.

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What are the main functions of blood?

Transport nutrients, oxygen, hormones; regulate fluid balance; defend against pathogens.

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What is blood composed of?

Plasma and cellular components.

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What percentage of plasma is water?

About 90%.

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What do inorganic salts (electrolytes) in plasma do?

Buffer pH and regulate osmosis.

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Name key plasma ions.

Calcium (Ca²⁺), Magnesium (Mg²⁺), Sodium (Na⁺).

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What is the role of albumin in plasma?

Maintains osmotic balance.

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What is the function of immunoglobulins?

Immune defense (antibodies).

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What do apolipoproteins do?

Transport fats in the blood.

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What is fibrinogen’s function?

Acts as a clotting factor.

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Where are blood cells produced?

Bone marrow, from multipotent stem cells.

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What is the structure of erythrocytes (RBCs)?

Biconcave, no nucleus or mitochondria, full of hemoglobin.

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What is the function of red blood cells?

Transport oxygen efficiently.

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What is the function of white blood cells (WBCs)?

Defend against infections and foreign substances.

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What are platelets and their role?

Cell fragments essential for blood clotting.

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What happens during platelet plug formation?

Platelets stick to exposed collagen and attract more platelets to form a plug.

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What triggers fibrin clot formation?

A cascade involving clotting factors, Ca²⁺, prothrombin → thrombin → fibrinogen → fibrin.

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What does fibrin do?

Forms long insoluble threads that reinforce the clot.

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What is hemophilia?

A disorder where a clotting factor is missing → improper clotting.

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What is a thrombus and why is it dangerous?

A blood clot that forms inside a vessel and can block blood flow → stroke or heart attack.

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What does the immune system protect against?

Bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites.

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What are the two major branches of the immune system?

Innate immunity and adaptive immunity.

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What are the features of innate immunity?

Immediate, general, non-specific; includes barriers and general cellular responses.

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What are the features of adaptive immunity?

Specific, acquired, has memory; involves B and T cells.

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What are examples of barrier defenses?

Skin, mucous membranes, cilia, stomach acid, lysozymes.

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What do toll-like receptors (TLRs) do?

Recognize pathogen molecules to trigger a response.

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What do NK (Natural Killer) cells do?

Destroy infected or cancerous host cells by detecting abnormal surface proteins.

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What are interferons?

Proteins produced by virus-infected cells to warn neighbors.

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What is the complement system?

A group of ~30 proteins that lyse pathogens by forming membrane pores.

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What triggers the inflammatory response?

Injury/infection → histamine and cytokine release → vasodilation and immune cell recruitment.

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What are the signs of inflammation?

Redness, heat, swelling (edema), pain.

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What is systemic inflammation and what does it lead to?

Body-wide response → fever to boost immune function.

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Compare and Contrast: Cellular vs. Plasma Components of Blood [Origin, Physical form, Major Elements, Key function, Proteins Present, Which cells have role in immunity]

Feature

Cellular Components

Plasma Components

Origin

Bone marrow (from stem cells)

Liquid portion of blood

Physical Form

Cells or cell fragments

Fluid (~90% water)

Major Elements

RBCs, WBCs, Platelets

Water, ions, proteins, nutrients, hormones

Key Functions

Oxygen transport, immunity, clotting

Transport, pH buffering, osmoregulation, clotting

Proteins Present?

Minimal in cells

Albumin, immunoglobulins, fibrinogen, apolipoproteins

Direct Role in Immunity?

WBCs involved directly

Immunoglobulins contribute

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Sequence: Process of Blood Clotting

  1. Injury to Blood Vessel

  2. → Vessel constriction (vasoconstriction)

  3. → Exposure of collagen fibers

  4. → Platelet adhesion and plug formation

  5. → Release of chemical signals

  6. → Clotting cascade activation (factors + Ca²⁺)

  7. → Prothrombin → Thrombin

  8. → Thrombin converts fibrinogen → Fibrin

  9. → Fibrin mesh stabilizes clot

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Compare and Contrast: Platelet Plug vs. Fibrin Clot Formation

Feature

Platelet Plug Formation

Fibrin Clot Formation

Timing

Immediate (seconds to minutes)

Delayed (minutes to hours)

Trigger

Platelet contact with exposed collagen

Enzyme cascade + clotting factors

Main Component

Platelets

Fibrin (from fibrinogen)

Function

Temporarily plug the hole

Permanently seal and stabilize the clot

Calcium & Vitamin K?

Not essential

Essential for cascade and thrombin formation

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Hypothesize/Diagnose: Impact of Variability on Blood Clotting

Variation / Deficiency

Possible Effect

Diagnosis / Outcome

Low Platelet Count

Impaired plug formation

Excessive bleeding, bruising

Hemophilia (Missing Factor)

Cascade blocked → no fibrin clot

Cannot form stable clot → persistent bleeding

Excess Clotting Factors

Clots without injury

Thrombus risk → stroke or heart attack

Vitamin K Deficiency

Thrombin can't form

Bleeding disorders

Calcium Deficiency

Clotting cascade impaired

Slower clot formation

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Compare and Contrast: Innate vs. Adaptive Immunity

Feature

Innate Immunity

Adaptive (Acquired) Immunity

Specificity

Non-specific

Pathogen-specific

Response Time

Immediate

Delayed (days)

Memory?

No

Yes

Components

Skin, phagocytes, NK cells, complement

B cells, T cells, antibodies

Duration

Short-term

Long-lasting immunity

Present From Birth?

Yes

Develops after exposure

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Compare and Contrast: Barrier vs. Cellular Innate Defenses

Feature

Barrier Defenses

Cellular Defenses

Location

Body surfaces (external/internal)

Inside tissues and blood

Example Structures

Skin, mucous membranes, stomach acid

Phagocytes, NK cells, interferons

Always Active?

Yes

Activated when barrier is breached

Type of Action

Physical/chemical prevention

Cellular response and pathogen destruction

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Sequence: Innate Immune Response (9)

  1. Pathogen Entry

  2. → Breaches barrier defenses (e.g., skin, mucous membranes)

  3. → Recognized by toll-like receptors (TLRs)

  4. → Phagocytes engulf and destroy pathogen

  5. → NK cells destroy infected host cells

  6. → Interferons released (if virus present)

  7. → Complement system activated → pathogen lysis

  8. → Inflammatory response: vasodilation, cytokine release

  9. → Phagocytes rush in → pathogen cleared

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Sequence: Vaccine Activity

  1. Vaccination (Injection of Antigen or mRNA)

  2. → Antigen detected by immune system

  3. → B cells produce antibodies

  4. → T cells activated

  5. → Memory B and T cells formed

  6. → Future infection → rapid memory response

  7. → Faster elimination of actual pathogen

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