Cardiovascular System - Blood Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, components, disorders, cellular elements, and mechanisms of the cardiovascular system's blood tissue based on the lecture material.

Plasma

The liquid portion of blood that includes proteins and clotting factors.

Serum

The liquid portion of blood remaining after clotting occurs, lacking fibrinogen and clotting factors.

Hematocrit

The percentage of erythrocytes in a blood sample, normally about $45\%$ of total blood volume.

Buffy Coat

A thin layer in a centrifuged blood sample composed mostly of white blood cells and platelets.

Albumin

The most abundant plasma protein produced by the liver, which contributes to colloid osmotic pressure and transports lipids.

Globulins

Plasma proteins including alpha and beta types (transport iron, lipids, and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K) and gamma types (immunoglobulins/antibodies produced by plasma cells).

Fibrinogen

A plasma protein produced by the liver that acts as a clotting agent during hemostasis.

Hematopoiesis

The process of producing all formed elements in the blood.

Erythropoiesis

The specific process of red blood cell formation.

Leukopoiesis

The specific process of white blood cell formation.

Thrombopoiesis

The specific process of platelet formation.

Reticulocytes

Immature red blood cells that shed their nucleus and organelles to develop into mature erythrocytes.

Oxyhemoglobin

Hemoglobin with iron bound to oxygen, which displays a bright red color.

Deoxyhemoglobin

Hemoglobin after releasing oxygen, which displays a darker red color.

Carbaminohemoglobin

Hemoglobin bound to carbon dioxide along its amino acids.

Anemia

A condition characterized by insufficient numbers of red blood cells or deficient hemoglobin, leading to oxygen deprivation in body tissues.

Polycythemia

A condition characterized by an overproduction of red blood cells, increasing blood viscosity.

Hypoxemia

Low blood oxygen levels, primarily caused by respiratory disorders.

Hypoxia

A generic term for low oxygen levels in tissues.

Erythropoietin (EPO)

A hormone secreted by kidney fibroblasts in response to low oxygen levels to stimulate erythrocyte production in red bone marrow.

Biliverdin

A green pigment formed during the breakdown of heme from recycled red blood cells.

Bilirubin

A yellow pigment formed from heme breakdown that travels bound to albumin to the liver to be excreted in bile.

Stercobilin

A breakdown product of bilirubin that gives feces its brown color.

Urobilin

A breakdown product of bilirubin that gives urine its yellow color.

Sickle Cell Anemia

An inherited recessive blood disorder caused by abnormal hemoglobin that alters red blood cells into rigid, sticky, crescent shapes that block small vessels.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

Anemia resulting from a lack of iron to produce hemoglobin, potentially causing symptoms such as spoon nails, ice cravings, and a smooth tongue.

Pernicious Anemia

An autoimmune condition where immune cells attack stomach parietal cells, preventing intrinsic factor production required for vitamin B12 absorption.

Aplastic Anemia

A condition where bone marrow fails to produce adequate amounts of all blood cell types.

Thalassemia

An inherited recessive genetic mutation that prevents normal hemoglobin production and creates smaller or abnormally shaped red blood cells.

Polycythemia Vera

A blood cancer that causes bone marrow to produce excessive blood cells, predominantly erythrocytes.

Diapedesis

The process by which leukocytes squeeze through cells in capillary walls to enter tissues.

Positive Chemotaxis

The movement of leukocytes toward a specific site in response to chemical signals.

Neutrophils

Phagocytic granular leukocytes making up $50\% - 70\%$ of total leukocytes that serve as the first responders to bacterial infections.

Basophils

Granular leukocytes comprising less than $1\%$ of leukocytes that release histamine and heparin as first responders in allergic reactions.

Eosinophils

Phagocytic granular leukocytes making up $2\% - 4\%$ of leukocytes with granules toxic to parasitic worms that also respond in allergic reactions and inflammation.

Lymphocytes

Agranular leukocytes making up $20\% - 30\%$ of leukocytes, including B cells, T cells, natural killer cells, and memory cells.

Monocytes

Large agranular leukocytes making up about $8\%$ of total leukocytes that leave circulation to become major tissue-bound phagocytes known as macrophages.

Leukopenia

A condition in which too few leukocytes are produced by the body.

Leukocytosis

An elevated white blood cell count, typically representing a normal response to infection or inflammation.

Leukemia

A cancer of blood and bone marrow involving an overabundance of non-functional or malfunctioning leukocytes.

Lymphoma

A lymphatic system cancer where malignant T and B lymphocytes accumulate and form tumors in lymph nodes, spleen, or liver.

Megakaryocytes

Large cells derived from myeloid stem cells in red bone marrow whose cellular fragments form platelets.

Hemostasis

The process by which the body stops bleeding from a damaged blood vessel.

Vascular Spasm

The initial step of hemostasis where smooth muscle within vessel walls contracts to restrict blood flow.

Platelet Plug

The second step of hemostasis where platelets adhere to exposed collagen at a vessel break to temporarily seal openings.

Coagulation

The third step of hemostasis where intrinsic or extrinsic pathways activate clotting factors to form a final fibrin clot.

Thrombocytosis

A condition characterized by an excessive number of platelets, increasing the risk of unwanted blood clots.

Thrombocytopenia

A condition characterized by an abnormally low platelet count, leading to impaired clotting and increased bleeding risk.

Hemophilia

An inherited genetic disorder resulting in a failure to produce specific clotting factors.

Thrombus

An aggregation of platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells trapped within a fibrin network inside a blood vessel.

Embolus

A piece of a thrombus that breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream.

Prothrombin Time Test

A diagnostic test measuring the duration required for the extrinsic and common pathways to produce a blood clot.

Antigens

Substances such as large proteins or carbohydrates that the immune system identifies as non-self, triggering an immune response.

Antibodies

Proteins synthesized by B lymphocytes that bind to and mark specific foreign antigens for destruction.

Agglutination

The process where antibodies cross-link foreign antigens on red blood cells, causing them to clump together.

Universal Donor

Type O- blood, which lacks A, B, and Rh antigens on its red blood cells, allowing it to be given to any recipient without triggering an immune reaction.

Universal Recipient

Type AB+ blood, which contains A, B, and Rh antigens and forms no antibodies against them, enabling receipt of blood from any donor.