Clinical Lab Techniques Lecture 1 - Hematology & Erythropoiesis

Connective tissue

Blood is considered a type of

• Transport of gases, nutrients, metabolic waste products, cells, and hormones

• Helps maintain body temperature and pH levels

• Clot formation and prevention of infection

Identify the functions of blood

• Formed elements or cellular portion (40% of BV)

• Plasma or liquid portion (60% of BV)

Identify the two fractions of blood

• 91-92% water

• 7-8% protein (fibrinogen, albumin, globulins)

• 1-2% other solutes

Plasma makes up 60% of blood volume. Identify the components of plasma.

Fibrinogen

Identify the largest protein found in blood

Blood clotting

What is the function of fibrinogen?

Albumin

Identify the smallest protein found in blood

Maintain oncotic pressure (movement of plasma)

Identify the function of albumin

Defense mechanisms

Identify the function of globulins in the blood

Liver

Where in the body are fibrinogen and albumin made?

Plasma minus fibrinogen

In the simplest terms, what is serum?

Erythrocytes, leukocytes, and thrombocytes

Identify the formed elements found in blood

Transport O2 and CO2

Identify the function of erythrocytes

CO2

The driving force of the respiratory system is _____, as our bodies try to expel it

• Biconcave shape makes cell flexible

• Anucleated to fit more hemoglobin

Describe the structure of an erythrocyte

Hemostasis or the slow down of blood flow

Identify the function of thrombocytes

Hemostasis

Slow down or stopping of blood flow

Acid stain (red) and basic stain (blue)

Identify the two types of Romanowsky stain

Basic compounds and stain red

An acid stain will bind to

Acidic compounds and stain blue

A basic stain will bind to

Hematopoiesis

The formation of blood cells

Blast cell

An immature cell

Metarubricyte

A nucleated red blood cell

Rubriblast or proerythroblast

The first morphologically identifiable erythroid precursor

• Basophilic cytoplasm (stains blue)

• Round, single nucleus

• Loose chromatin pattern

Describe the structure of a rubriblast

Prorubricyte

The stage of development of red blood cells between the rubriblast and the rubricyte

Rubricyte

The most mature RBC precursor that retains the ability to split through mitosis

Rubricyte

A stage of development of red blood cells between the prorubricyte and the metarubricyte

Metarubricyte

Stage of RBC development where nucleus starts to become pyknotic

• Dense to completely pyknotic (dead) nucleus

• Sometimes eccentrically located nucleus

• Cytoplasm becomes polychromatophilic (pale blue - orange)

Describe the structure of a metarubricyte

Reticulocytes

Which type of immature red blood cell becomes smaller as it ages?

• Cats have aggregated and punctuated reticulocytes

• Every other species has only aggregate reticulocytes

Which species has two types of reticulocytes?

Severely anemic

Ruminants do not circulating reticulocytes unless they are

Horses

Which species will not have circulating reticulocytes under any condition?

Carries hemoglobin for the transport of oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide

Identify the function of erythrocytes

• Anucleated cell

• Red - orange cytoplasm

• No intracytoplasmic organelles, only hemoglobin

Describe the structure of an erythrocyte

anucleate, bioconvace disks

diameter 4 - 9 micrometer

distinct central pallor (pale area) - dog cells have most obvious

slight anisocytosis (unequal cell size)

rouleaux formation (most prominent in horses, does not happen in bovine,

goats have the smallest red blood cells of any species

• Anucleated, biconcave disks

• 4-9 micrometers in diameter

• Distinct central pallor (pale area)

• Slight anisocytosis (unequal cell size)

• Rouleaux formation except in bovine

Describe the structure of the red blood cells found in mammals

Dogs

Which species' red blood cells have the most distinct central pallor?

Rouleaux formation

The stacking of red blood cells

Horses

Which species' red blood cells have the most prominent rouleaux formation?

Bovine

Which species' red blood cells do not arrange in rouleaux formation?

Goats

Which species has the smallest red blood cells?

Angora goats

Which species has spindle form and fusiform red blood cells?

Birds, reptiles, fish, and amphibians

Which species has elliptical-shaped, nucleated red blood cells?

Camelide

Which species has elliptical-shaped, anucleated red blood cells?

Deer

Which species has sickled red blood cells?

Anemia

_____ develops quicker in red blood cells with shorter lifespans

Cow (160 days)

Horse (145 days)

Chicken (20-35 days)

Which species' red blood cells have the longest lifespan?

110 days

What is the lifespan of a dog's red blood cells?

70 days

What is the lifespan of a cat's red blood cells?