Anatomy and Physiology of the Hematologic System

These flashcards cover all major terms, processes, cell types, laboratory values, disorders, and regulatory factors related to the anatomy and physiology of the hematologic system as presented in the study guide.

What specialized organ exists in a fluid state within the body?

Blood

Blood is composed of plasma and various _.

Cell types

What is the liquid portion of blood that forms the extracellular matrix?

Plasma

Which protein, synthesized by the liver, is the most abundant in blood serum?

Albumin

What term describes the thickness or stickiness of a fluid resulting from cohesion of its particles?

Viscosity

From which tissue are most immunoglobulins primarily derived?

Lymphoid tissue

Which blood cells are essential for the transport of O₂ and CO₂?

Red Blood Cells (erythrocytes)

What cellular fragments adhere to sites of vascular damage and aid in hemostasis?

Platelets

Which fully functional, nucleated blood cells play a defensive role against pathogens?

Leukocytes (White Blood Cells)

What is the complex process of blood cell formation and maturation called?

Hematopoiesis

Where does hematopoiesis primarily occur in adults?

Bone marrow

What are the primitive marrow cells capable of self-replication and differentiation called?

Stem cells

Which stem cell line differentiates into erythrocytes, non-lymphoid leukocytes, and platelets?

Myeloid stem cells

Myeloid stem cells ultimately give rise to T or B _.

Lymphocytes

What gas do RBCs pick up from the lungs to deliver to tissues?

Oxygen

Approximately how many days is the normal lifespan of a circulating RBC?

120 days

Aging RBCs are removed from circulation mainly by macrophages in the _.

Spleen

The amount of hemoglobin per given blood volume is called hemoglobin _.

Concentration

What laboratory value measures the percentage of RBCs in whole blood?

Hematocrit

Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) reflects the average _ of RBCs.

Size

Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) measures variation in the _ of RBCs.

Size

Which laboratory procedure is used to study RBC size and shape abnormalities?

Peripheral blood smear

What kidney-derived hormone is the primary regulator of erythropoiesis?

Erythropoietin

Besides iron and folic acid, which vitamin is essential for RBC maturation?

Vitamin B₁₂

Erythropoietin release increases when the kidneys detect _.

Hypoxia

Which major protein in RBCs accounts for blood’s large oxygen-carrying capacity?

Hemoglobin

Each hemoglobin molecule contains four large _ protein chains.

Globin

Because RBCs lack mitochondria, by which pathway do they generate ATP?

Glycolysis

Mature RBCs are biconcave discs that lack a _.

Nucleus

The rate of erythropoiesis is estimated by counting circulating immature RBCs known as _.

Reticulocytes

What term describes an abnormally high concentration of circulating RBCs?

Polycythemia

Which anemia is characterized by low RBC counts due to bone-marrow destruction?

Aplastic anemia

What orange-yellow pigment is the end product of hemoglobin breakdown?

Bilirubin

What is the normal WBC count range (cells/mm³)?

4,000 – 11,000 cells/mm³

Which cytokines collectively stimulate WBC production?

Colony-Stimulating Factors (CSFs)

In which organ do T lymphocytes complete their differentiation?

Thymus gland

Which WBCs are most abundant and are aggressive antibacterial phagocytes?

Neutrophils

Which granulocytes secrete chemicals that destroy large parasites?

Eosinophils

Which WBC type is the rarest, comprising only 0.5–1% of the total count?

Basophils

Basophils release which vasodilator chemical?

Histamine

Which WBCs are the largest in size?

Monocytes

After leaving blood, monocytes transform into _ that engulf debris and pathogens.

Macrophages

What term refers to a malignancy where marrow is infiltrated by malignant blast cells?

Leukemia

A decreased WBC count is clinically termed _.

Leukopenia

Small, circulating fragments of megakaryocytes are called _.

Platelets

Which liver- and kidney-derived cytokine regulates platelet production?

Thrombopoietin

Platelets release _ that cause spasmodic constriction of damaged vessels.

Vasoconstrictors (e.g., serotonin)

The immediate constriction of a damaged vessel is known as _.

Vascular spasm

The most common inherited bleeding disorder due to deficient or defective vWF is _.

Von Willebrand’s disease

The process in which a fibrin mesh stabilizes a platelet plug (secondary hemostasis) is called _.

Coagulation