Blood Properties and Function

Flashcards covering blood properties, vessel structures, plasma components, red blood cell functions, hemostasis, and white blood cell types based on physiological principles of domestic animals.

How do arteries, veins, and capillaries differ in function and structure?

Arteries are thick and muscular, carrying blood away from the heart; veins are thin and flexible, returning blood to the heart; capillaries are thin-walled and permeable, exchanging substances between blood and tissues.

What are the three specialized types of capillaries and their common locations?

Continuous (most tissues), fenestrated (kidneys, intestines), and sinusoid capillaries (liver, bone marrow, spleen).

What factor has the greatest effect on controlling blood flow and pressure?

Vessel radius, modified through vasoconstriction and vasodilation.

What are the three primary functions of the circulatory system?

Transport ($O_2$, $CO_2$, nutrients, waste, hormones), Protection (inflammation, destroying microorganisms, clotting), and Regulation (fluid balance, $pH$ stabilization, temperature control).

What are the approximate blood volumes for a whale, cow, and pig?

Whale: $120,000\,L$ ($31,701$ gallons); Cow: $40\,L$ ($10.6$ gallons); Pig: $9.6\,L$ ($2.5$ gallons).

How is serum distinguished from blood plasma?

Serum is identical to plasma except for the absence of fibrinogen and clotting factors.

What are the three main types of formed elements in blood?

Erythrocytes (red blood cells), Platelets (cell fragments), and Leukocytes (white blood cells).

What is the function of albumins in the blood plasma?

They are the smallest and most abundant proteins; they contribute to viscosity and osmolarity, influencing blood pressure, flow, and fluid balance.

Which electrolyte makes up $90\%$ of plasma cations?

$$Na^+$$

How much more viscous is whole blood compared to water?

Blood is $4.5$ to $5.5 \times$ more viscous than water.

What are the consequences of blood osmolarity being too high versus too low?

If too high, blood absorbs too much water from tissues, increasing blood pressure; if too low, tissues absorb water, blood pressure drops, and edema (fluid retention in tissues) occurs.

What are the two principal functions of erythrocytes (RBCs)?

Carry $O_2$ from lungs to cell tissues and pick up $CO_2$ from tissues to bring to the lungs.

Why do red blood cells rely on anaerobic fermentation to produce $ATP$?

They lose nearly all organelles during development, including mitochondria, preventing aerobic respiration.

What percentage of an RBC's cytoplasm is composed of hemoglobin (Hb)?

$$33\%$$

Describe the structure and binding capacity of a hemoglobin (Hb) molecule.

It consists of four globins (two alpha, two beta) which bind $CO_2$, and four heme groups, each containing a ferrous ion ($Fe$) that binds one $O_2$ molecule.

What hormone is released by the kidney in response to hypoxia to stimulate RBC production?

Erythropoietin

What happens to the components of hemoglobin during erythrocyte death (hemolysis)?

Macrophages digest membrane bits; globins are hydrolyzed into amino acids; iron is removed from heme; and heme is converted to bilirubin, which is secreted in bile.

What are the three stages of hemostasis?

1. Vascular spasm (initial vasoconstriction); 2. Platelet plug formation; 3. Blood clotting (coagulation).

What are the functions of the five primary types of leukocytes?

Neutrophils (antibacterial); Eosinophils (antigen-antibody complexes, large parasites); Basophils (speed blood flow, promote WBC mobility); Lymphocytes (destroy cancer/foreign cells, coordinate immune cells); Monocytes (transform into macrophages to phagocytize debris).

Which leukocytes are classified as agranulocytes?

Lymphocytes and monocytes.

What are the types of Granulocytes?

Neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils.

What are the types of Agranulocytes?

Lymphocytes and monocytes.