Hematology and Hematopoiesis Lecture Notes

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering hematology terminology, blood cell reference ranges, centrifuge blood separation fractions, and hematopoiesis lineages.

Erythr-

A word root meaning red.

Leuko-

A word root meaning white.

Thrombo-

A word root referring to platelets.

Macro-

A prefix meaning large.

Phag-

A word root meaning eat.

Hypo-

A prefix meaning less or low.

Heme-

A word root referring to blood.

-pen

A suffix denoting low or deficiency.

-blast

A suffix indicating an immature or precursor cell stage.

-cyte

A suffix indicating a mature cell.

-poie-

A word-combining element denoting formation or production.

Erythrocytosis

An abnormal increase in the number of red blood cells ($>\text{RBC}$).

Hypoerythrocytosis

A deficiency or abnormally low count of red blood cells ($<\text{RBC}$).

Anemia

A blood condition characterized by a lack of red blood cells or heme deficiency.

Centrifuged Plasma Layer

The top, clear, least dense layer of centrifuged blood composed primarily of $H_2O$, normally comprising approximately $55\%$ of total blood volume.

Buffy Coat

The thin middle layer of centrifuged blood containing white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets, normally comprising approximately $1\text{--}2\%$ of total blood volume.

Centrifuged RBC Layer

The bottom, red, most dense layer of centrifuged blood containing erythrocytes, normally comprising approximately $45\%$ of total blood volume.

Normal RBC Count

Approximately $4.3\text{--}4.6\text{ million}/\mu\text{L}$.

Normal Platelet Count

$150\text{K}\text{--}480\text{K}/\mu\text{L}$.

Normal WBC Count

$5\text{K}\text{--}10\text{K}/\mu\text{L}$.

Pluripotent Stem Cell

An unspecialized stem cell with many potential developmental fates that differentiates into a multipotent stem cell.

Multipotent Stem Cell

A stem cell derived from a pluripotent stem cell that branches into myeloid stem cells and lymphoid stem cells.

Myeloid Stem Cell

A progenitor cell lineage that gives rise to erythrocytes (RBCs), platelets, granulocytes, and agranulocytes.

Lymphoid Stem Cell

A progenitor cell lineage that produces lymphoblasts, which mature into B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes.

Erythrocyte Maturation

The developmental process from a myeloid blast to a mature erythrocyte during which the nucleus is ejected.

Platelet Formation

The process wherein a thrombocyte fragments into cell pieces that lack a nucleus (no nucleus).

Granulocyte

A category of white blood cells derived from myeloid stem cells consisting of eosinophils, basophils, and neutrophils.

Agranulocyte

A category of white blood cells derived from myeloid stem cells consisting of monocytes.

Macrophage

A large phagocytic cell that develops from a circulating monocyte.