Blood & Heart Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards about blood and heart based on lecture notes.

Appendicular Muscles

Muscles that move the hip joint/thigh (posterior compartment), knee joint/leg and leg & foot.

Plasma

Yellowish liquid component of blood, ~55% of blood sample.

Buffy coat

Thin, gray-white layer in blood, contains leukocytes & platelets, < 1 % of blood sample.

Erythrocytes

Lower layer of blood sample, consists of red blood cells, ~44 % of blood sample.

Hematocrit

Percentage of volume of all formed elements in blood.

Eosin

Acidic dye that stains pink.

Methylene blue

Basic dye that stains blue & purple.

Spectrin

Plasma membrane protein in erythrocytes that gives them flexibility.

Erythrocytes

Oxygen-transporting cells, most numerous formed element in blood.

Hemoglobin

Molecule that reversibly binds with oxygen and is composed of 4 polypeptide chains called globins, each containing a heme group with an iron atom.

Diapedesis

Leave capillaries/vessels by squeezing between the endothelial cells that form the capillary/vessel walls.

Chemotaxis

Various chemicals produced or released at infection sites attract circulating WBCs.

Leukocytosis

Patient with a count exceeding 11,000 per cubic mm indicates infection or inflammation.

Granular leukocytes

Contain granules in cytoplasm & have a lobed nucleus.

Agranular leukocytes

Lack granules & have a circular or indented nucleus.

Histamine

Inflammatory chemical that acts as a vasodilator & attracts other WBCs