Immunology 442: The Blood System - Week 4 Notes Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering the primary functions, composition, formation, specific cell types (RBCs, WBCs, Platelets), plasma, blood types, clotting, and pathologies of the blood system from lecture notes on Immunology 442.

Primary Function of Blood

To maintain a stable internal environment for all other living tissues in the body.

Blood Function - Transport (Nutrients)

Carries nutrients absorbed from the stomach and small intestine to all body cells.

Blood Function - Transport (Gases)

Transports oxygen from the lungs to cells via red blood cells and carbon dioxide from cells to the lungs for exhalation.

Blood Function - Transport (Chemical Wastes)

Carries substances like urea to the kidneys for filtration and excretion as urine.

Blood Function - Transport (Chemical Messengers)

Transports hormones from their secretion sites to distant target sites, regulating vital functions such as growth, reproduction, and energy production.

Blood Function - (Immunity and Repair)

Contains proteins, white blood cells, and antibodies to fight infection; includes platelets and other proteins crucial for blood clotting.

Formed Elements w/in Blood

Constituents of blood (about 45% of volume) including red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets.

Plasma (definition)

A clear, straw-colored liquid comprising the remaining 55% of blood volume, a solution of water, proteins, sugars, salts, hormones, and lipids.

Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Origin of all blood cells, located in the bone marrow.

Differentiation (of Blood Cells)

Process where stem cells change size and shape, becoming specialized cells, under the influence of proteins in the blood and bone marrow.

Erythrocytes

Red Blood Cells (RBCs) - Blood cells that lose their nucleus and adopt a biconcave disc shape as they mature, vital for gas exchange.

Biconcave Disc Shape (of RBCs)

The shape of a mature red blood cell, resembling a cough drop with a thin central portion, creating a larger surface area for efficient gas absorption and release.

Hemoglobin

A protein within erythrocytes vital for oxygen transport, composed of heme and globin.

Heme

An iron-containing pigment that is part of hemoglobin.

Globin

A type of protein that binds to heme in blood, muscles, etc.

Erythropoietin

A hormone secreted by the kidneys that stimulates the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow.

Hemolysis

The process by which erythrocytes (RBCs) are routinely destroyed by macrophages; lifespan of RBC = ~120 days.

Bilirubin

A yellow-orange pigment that remains after heme decomposes and iron is removed to be recycled. Bilirubin is excreted by the liver into bile.

Jaundice

Yellowing of the sclera (whites of eyes) and skin due to bilirubin accumulation, often caused by disruptions in the bilirubin pathway.

Leukocytes

White Blood Cells (WBCs) - Less numerous than erythrocytes, with five mature types organized into granulocytic and agranulocytic groups, primarily involved in fighting infection.

Granulocytic Leukocytes

A group of WBCs that have granules in their cytoplasm, including neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils.

Agranulocytic Leukocytes

A group of WBCs that lack granules in their cytoplasm, including lymphocytes and monocytes.

Neutrophils

The most numerous WBCs, a type of phagocyte that accumulates at infection sites to ingest and destroy bacteria.

Eosinophils

Specialized WBCs that unleash toxic granules to fight large invaders like worms/parasites and play a role in allergic reactions.

Basophils

Rare and powerful WBCs that release histamine, heparin, and other chemicals, sparking inflammation and amplifying the immune response, while also thinning the blood to avoid blockages in blood supply around damaged tissues and during allergic reactions. .

Histamine

A chemical released by basophils during allergic responses.

Heparin

An anti-clotting substance contained in / released by basophils, also produced naturally and used therapeutically to prevent blood clots.

Lymphocytes

WBCs made in the bone marrow and lymph nodes, key components of the adaptive immune system, including T cells and B cells.

Monocytes

Phagocytic WBCs that circulate as recruits in the blood and then move into tissues to mature into macrophages or dendritic cells, disposing of dead cells and debris.

Macrophages

Mature monocytes in tissues. Monocytes are phagocytic cells fighting disease and disposing of dead/dying cells and tissue debris.

Complete Blood Count (CBC) with Differential

A common lab test that quantifies and differentiates the five types of leukocytes; abnormal levels can indicate underlying conditions.

Platelets (Thrombocytes)

Tiny, disc-shaped cell fragments critical in hemostasis (stopping bleeding via clotting/coagulation), formed in the bone marrow from megakaryocytes.

Hemostasis

The process of stopping bleeding via clotting/coagulation, critically involving platelets.

Megakaryocytes

Large bone marrow cells with multi-lobed nuclei from which tiny fragments break off to become platelets.

Main Functions of Plasma

Transport system for nutrients, hormones, waste products, and electrolytes; maintains blood pressure & volume; plays a role in immunity & clotting; pH balance & homeostasis.

Albumin

A major plasma protein that maintains proper water concentration in the blood, carrying small molecules to the capillaries and attracting water from tissues back into the bloodstream.

Edema

Swelling due to excessive fluid leaking from blood into tissues, which can be contributed to by low albumin levels.

Globulins

Plasma proteins with three subtypes: alpha, beta, and gamma; gamma globulins include immunoglobulins (antibodies).

Immunoglobulins (Antibodies)

Gamma globulins that bind to and destroy antigens, main examples include IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, and IgE.

Fibrinogen

A key plasma protein involved in blood clotting.

Prothrombin

Another plasma protein critical for blood clotting.

Blood Types (A, B, AB, O)

Categorizations of blood based on the presence or absence of specific antigens on the surface of red blood cells and antibodies in the plasma.

Antigens (Blood)

Specific proteins or carbohydrates on the surface of red blood cells that determine blood type.

Antibodies (Blood)

Proteins in the plasma that react against specific antigens not present on one's own red blood cells.

Blood Transfusions

The medical procedure of transferring blood or blood components from a donor to a recipient, requiring careful compatibility testing to prevent hemolysis.

Blood Clotting (Coagulation)

A complex series of chemical reactions involving many substances, resulting in the formation of a fibrin clot from the plasma protein fibrinogen to stop bleeding.

Fibrin Clot

The end product of the coagulation cascade, formed from fibrinogen, which helps to stop bleeding.

Anticoagulants

Substances in the blood or medications that inhibit clotting.

Warfarin / Coumadin

Pharmacological anticoagulants prescribed to patients with thromboembolic diseases to prevent clot formation.

Anemia

A disorder of the red blood cells, characterized by a deficiency of erythrocytes or hemoglobin.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

The most common type of anemia, caused by insufficient iron for hemoglobin production.

Aplastic Anemia

A severe form of anemia characterized by the failure of blood cell production in the bone marrow, where stem cells fail to produce leukocytes, platelets, and erythrocytes simultaneously.

Pancytopenia

A condition occurring in aplastic anemia when stem cells fail to produce leukocytes, platelets, and erythrocytes simultaneously.

Hemolytic Anemia

Reduction in red blood cells due to excessive destruction, where erythrocytes become sphere-like and fragile, making them more vulnerable to destruction.

Pernicious Anemia

Lack of mature erythrocytes due to an inability to absorb vitamin B12 into the bloodstream, caused by a lack of intrinsic factor.

Intrinsic Factor

A special substance normally found in gastric juices, essential for the absorption of vitamin B12.

Sickle Cell Anemia

A hereditary disorder with abnormal hemoglobin, causing erythrocytes to adopt a characteristic crescent or sickle shape, leading to hemolysis.

Sickle Cell Trait

A recessive condition where individuals inherit one abnormal copy of the sickle cell gene, providing a survival advantage against malaria.

Thalassemia

An inherited defect in hemoglobin production, leading to hypochromia (red blood cells appear paler than normal due to lack of hemoglobin).

Hypochromia

A condition where red blood cells appear paler than normal under a microscope due to a lack of hemoglobin, seen in thalassemia.

Hemochromatosis

A disorder of the red blood cells characterized by a general increase in red blood cells (erythema), making blood viscous due to the greatly increased number of erythrocytes.

Hyperplastic Bone Marrow (Hemochromatosis)

An overactive bone marrow, often seen in hemochromatosis, leading to an increase in leukocytes and thrombocytes in addition to erythrocytes.

Hemophilia

A disorder of blood clotting characterized by excessive bleeding caused by a hereditary lack of specific blood clotting factors, with a normal platelet count.

Purpura

A disorder of blood clotting characterized by multiple pinpoint hemorrhages and accumulation of blood under the skin.

Leukemia

A disorder of the white blood cells, characterized by an increase in cancerous white blood cells.

Acute Leukemias

A type of leukemia characterized by an abrupt onset of symptoms such as fatigue, fever, bleeding, bone pain, and enlarged lymph nodes, spleen, and liver.

Lymphadenopathy

Swelling of the lymph nodes, a symptom of conditions like leukemia and mononucleosis.

Splenomegaly

An enlarged or inflamed spleen, a symptom of conditions like leukemia and mononucleosis.

Hepatomegaly

An enlarged liver, a symptom of conditions like leukemia and mononucleosis.

Granulocytopoiesis

A disorder of the white blood cells, characterized by an abnormal increase in granulocytes (a type of white blood cell) in the blood.

Mononucleosis (Mono)

An infectious disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), characterized by an increased number of mononuclear leukocytes and enlarged cervical lymph nodes, often called 'the kissing disease'.

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)

The virus that causes mononucleosis (Mono), typically transmitted via direct oral contact.

Lymphadenitis

Inflammation of the lymph nodes, a symptom of mononucleosis, accompanied by fever, fatigue, weakness, pharyngitis, and sometimes night sweats.

Atypical Lymphocytes

Unusual lymphocytes present in the blood, liver, and spleen during mononucleosis, leading to organ enlargement.

Multiple Myeloma

A malignant neoplasm (cancer) of the bone marrow, presenting with symptoms like frequent infections, anemia, bone pain, and kidney problems.

Hematocrit (Hct)

The percentage of erythrocytes in a volume of blood.

WBC Differential

The percentage of different types of leukocytes in the blood.

Multiple Myeloma

A malignant neoplasm (cancer) of the bone marrow, presenting with symptoms like frequent infections, anemia, bone pain, and kidney problems.

Hematocrit (Hct)

The percentage of erythrocytes in a volume of blood.

WBC Differential

The percentage of different types of leukocytes in the blood.