From Canvas (Blood Anatomy Vocabulary) - Unit 7: Blood and the Lymphatic System

Hematology

The medical specialty that studies the anatomy and physiology of the blood, utilizing diagnostic tests, medical and surgical procedures, and drugs to treat blood diseases.

Blood

One of the body's main fluids that circulates through the cardiovascular system via the heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries. It transports oxygen and nutrients to cells, removes carbon dioxide and wastes, contains immune system cells, and varies in volume based on weight, averaging about 5 quarts or 5 liters for a 154-pound (70 kg) individual.

Whole Blood

A fluid consisting of plasma (the liquid portion) and formed elements (the solid portion).

Plasma

The liquid portion of the blood that makes up 55% of total blood volume and is composed of 90% water. It transports the cellular components of blood throughout the circulatory system.

Solutes

The remaining components of blood suspended in plasma, consisting of electrolytes, amino acids, fats, glucose, vitamins, minerals, bilirubin, gases, and metabolic waste products like creatinine and urea.

Plasma Proteins

The most abundant solutes in the plasma, which include albumins, globulins, and fibrinogen.

Albumins

The largest group of plasma proteins, encompassing about 60% of the total. They maintain blood volume and pressure by exerting osmotic pressure, which attracts water into the capillaries and keeps fluid from leaking into surrounding tissues.

Edema

The swelling of the face or extremities caused by the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the interstitial spaces of the body's tissues, often due to a lack of osmotic pressure.

Globulins

Plasma proteins that encompass about 36% of the total, divided into alpha, beta, and gamma types. Alpha and beta globulins transport lipids and fat-soluble vitamins, while gamma globulins serve as antibodies for immunity.

Fibrinogen

The largest individual plasma protein molecule, making up about 4% of the total plasma proteins, which plays a vital role in blood coagulation.

Serum

The clear fluid portion of the plasma that remains after clotting factors have been activated to form a blood clot.

Formed Elements

The solid components of blood that make up 45% of its total volume, consisting of cells and cell fragments suspended in plasma, classified into erythrocytes, leukocytes, and thrombocytes.

Hematopoiesis

The process of blood cell formation occurring in the red bone marrow of long and flat bones. It begins with immature, unspecialized stem cells called hemocytoblasts, which differentiate into seven specialized cell lines across three classifications.

Stem Cells

Very immature, unspecialized, or undifferentiated cells in the bone marrow (such as hemocytoblasts, erythroblasts, lymphoblasts, and monoblasts) that develop into mature blood cells.

Erythrocytes (RBC)

The most numerous formed elements, shaped as flexible, biconcave disks that lack a nucleus when mature. They have a lifespan of 80 to 120 days, number approximately 5 million per cubic millimeter of blood, and function primarily to transport oxygen and remove carbon dioxide using hemoglobin.

Hemoglobin (Hgb)

The primary iron-containing protein component of red blood cells that acts as the vehicle to transport oxygen to body cells and carry carbon dioxide back to the lungs.

Macrophage Breakdown

The process where specialized immune cells break down deteriorating red blood cells, separating hemoglobin into globin and heme. The iron from heme is stored in the liver and spleen, while the rest of the heme is converted into bilirubin.

Bilirubin

A substance created from the breakdown of heme that acts as an important antioxidant in the body, protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Leukocytes (WBC)

White blood cells that are larger than red blood cells but fewer in number, possess a nucleus, and contain no hemoglobin. They serve as the body's main defense against pathogens by engulfing invaders via phagocytosis or producing antibodies.

Granulocytes

A classification of leukocytes that contain visible granules in their cytoplasm, which includes neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils.

Agranulocytes

A classification of leukocytes that do not have granules in their cytoplasm, which includes lymphocytes and monocytes.

Thrombocytes (Platelets)

Small, disc-shaped cell fragments derived from giant bone marrow cells called megakaryocytes. They lack hemoglobin and are essential for blood clotting by clumping together at injury sites and releasing clotting fibers.

Hemostasis

The process of stopping bleeding or cessation of blood loss following an injury.

Platelet Aggregation

The process where thrombocytes clump together and stick to the roughened, damaged walls of a blood vessel to decrease blood loss.

Coagulation

The complex chemical process of blood clot formation. It begins when damaged platelets release thromboplastin, which converts prothrombin into thrombin in the presence of calcium ions, which then converts fibrinogen into a mesh of fibrin strands that trap red blood cells.

Blood Groups (ABO System)

A blood typing classification system based on the inherited antigens present on the surface of an individual's red blood cells, designated as Type A, B, AB, or O.

Antigens (Ag)

Protein molecules located on the surface of red blood cells (or foreign invaders like bacteria) that are recognized by the immune system and can trigger the production of a specific antibody.

Antibodies

Proteins located in the blood plasma manufactured by white blood cells in response to foreign antigens. They recognize, attack, and neutralize specific antigens directly or make it easier for white blood cells to destroy them.

Blood Type A

A blood type characterized by having A-antigens on the red blood cells and anti-B antibodies in the plasma.

Blood Type B

A blood type characterized by having B-antigens on the red blood cells and anti-A antibodies in the plasma.

Blood Type AB

A blood type characterized by having both A and B antigens on the red blood cells and no antibodies in the plasma, making it the universal recipient.

Blood Type O

A blood type characterized by having no antigens on the red blood cells and both anti-A and anti-B antibodies in the plasma, making it the universal donor.

Rh Positive (Rh+)

A blood classification indicating that the Rh antigen is present on the surface of the red blood cells.

Rh Negative (Rh-)

A blood classification indicating that the Rh antigen is absent from the surface of the red blood cells.