Examination of Blood - The Mega List

pyridine ferroprotoporphyrin

The scientific name for a Takayama test.

Hemochromogen crystal

The common name for the crystals developed in the Takayama test.

erythrocyte

The scientific term for a red blood cell.

120 days

The approximate lifespan of a red blood cell.

leukocyte

The scientific term for a white blood cell.

8-10 days

The lifespan of a platelet.

leuko-

A prefix meaning "colorless."

leukodema

The loss of color in cells

thrombocyte

The scientific term for a platelet.

platelet

Small blood fragment that collects and sticks together at sites of injury to begin the clotting process. It is smaller than red and white blood cells.

thromboplastin

Substance that platelets produce which initiates clot formation.

hemoglobin A

The dominant form of hemoglobin found in adults. Shortened to: HbA.

plasma

The liquid portion of blood; consists of water, proteins, electrolytes, blood cells, platelets, lipids, antibodies, and hormones. It is the transport medium for various substances.

blood

A highly complex mixture of cells, enzymes, proteins, and inorganic substances.

albumin, globulin, fibrinogen

The proteins included in plasma.

osmotic pressure

Plasma is important for maintaining this, which if left unmaintained, can lead to cell bursting.

white blood cell

The only type of blood cell that contains a nucleus; can be used for DNA testing. It makes up the least amount of cells in the blood.

phagocyte

A white blood cell that destroys pathogens by engulfing them and breaking them down.

red blood cell

Takes up ~45% of the total volume of blood and is the most abundant cell in blood.

allele

An alternate form of a gene.

hemoglobin

An iron-containing protein in red blood cells that reversibly binds oxygen. Formed from 2 pairs of polypeptide chains and contains a globular tetrameric molecule. Composed of 4 subunits.

heme synthetase

The enzyme that creates hemoglobin from heme and globin proteins.

arterial blood

Bright red when hemoglobin carries oxygen.

venous blood

Dark red (can look blue due to optical effects) when hemoglobin lacks oxygen.

heme

Also called "ferroprotoporphyrin," it is a substance that contains iron and is a precursor to hemoglobin.

chromosome 16

The chromosome that codes the hemoglobin alpha (α) subunit.

chromosome 11

The chromosome that codes the hemoglobin beta (β) and hemoglobin gamma (γ) subunits.

alpha subunit

The hemoglobin subunit that remains constant in hemoglobin variants.

HbA2

A normal variant of hemoglobin where the two beta (β) subunits are replaced with delta (δ) subunits.

2-3%

This small percentage of HbA2, a normal hemoglobin variant, is present in all adult humans.

position 6

The position of the two beta (β) chains where valine replaces glutamate from a single base substitution in sickle-cell anemia.

beta chains

The chains of the hemoglobin variant for sickle-cell anemia where the amino acid valine replaces glutamate due to a single acid substitution (A to T).

gamma subunit

In fetal hemoglobin, this subunit is in the place of the beta (β) subunits.

alpha and beta

The globulin subunits that lead to the formation of hemoglobin A.

alpha and gamma

The globulin subunits that lead to the formation of hemoglobin F.

alpha and delta

The globulin subunits that lead to the formation of hemoglobin A2

hemoglobin F

The dominant form of hemoglobin found in fetuses. Shortened to: HbF.

prosthetic group

a non-protein group forming part of, or is combined with, a protein.

hemoglobin S

The hemoglobin variant in which an amino acid substitution has taken place, with a single glutamate replaced with valine. This results in sickle cell anemia.

ferrous

Iron in the Fe (II) state that binds oxygen reversibly. This state of blood stays inside the body.

ferric

Iron in the Fe (III) state that does not bind to oxygen. This state of blood is dried and outside of the body.

sickle-cell anemia

A genetic disorder that causes hemoglobin of red blood cells to become deformed due to insoluble fibers of deoxygenated hemoglobin S. This disorder is homozygous recessive.

sickle-cell trait

A heterozygous condition where an individual receives the sickle cell allele of the gene that codes for the beta subunit of hemoglobin. This results in ~1% of red blood cells being misshapen.

presumptive test

Test that presumes the presence of the questioned substance. In the case of blood, it is not specific for animal or human blood, but only reports the indication of blood.

Takayama

A confirmatory test for blood; results in the creation of red crystals.

leucomalachite green

A presumptive test for blood; turns green at the indication of blood. Shortened as LMG and is a basic test.

Kastle-Meyer

A presumptive test for blood; turns pink at the indication of blood. Also called phenolphthalein and is an acidic test.

Hemastix

A reagent strip that was originally designed for testing urine samples with the presence of blood. It is an incredibly quick and easy presumptive test.

polymorphism

The existence of more than one form of a genetic trait. The existence of multiple alleles at a particular genetic locus results in variants of the gene and product. Means "many different forms."

isoenzyme

Multiple molecular forms of an enzyme, each having the same or very similar enzymatic activities.

NFSTC

An acronym for "National Forensic Science Technology Center."

phosphoglucomutase

Shortened as "PGM," it is an important metabolic enzyme that is found throughout the body and expressed at many loci.

PGM subtyping

A method of determining which phenotype of phosphoglucomutase is found at a crime scene from bodily fluids. Phenotypes include: PGM-1, PGM-2, and PGM-2-1.

antihuman serum

A mixture with antibodies (Ab) that react, at least in theory, with all of the proteins in human serum and the different regions/domains of each protein.

antigen

A protein that, when introduced in the blood, triggers the production of an antibody. Also referred to as "generation of antibodies."

absorption elution

ABO typing comes from dried bloodstains and use the antigens present in the sample for typing

absorption inhibition

ABO typing comes from bodily fluids other than blood and use the antibodies present in the sample for typing

epitope

Part of the antigen that binds to the antibody.

antigenic determinant

An alternate term for epitope. The location where a particular molecular structure within the antigen binds with an antibody.

type A

The blood type that creates anti-B antibodies.

type B

The blood type that creates anti-A antibodies.

type O

The blood type that creates anti-A and anti-B antibodies.

type AB

The blood type that does not produce anti-A nor anti-B antibodies

polyclonal antibodies

Antibodies produced by injecting animals with a specific antigen. A series of antibodies are produced responding to a variety of different sites on the antigen.

monoclonal antibodies

Antibodies produced by a single clone of B lymphocytes and are identical in structure and antigen specificity. They are more uniform in their composition and designed to attack only one site on an antigen.

hybridoma

A culture of hybrid cells that results from the fusion of B cells and myeloma cells. Discovered by Kohler and Milstein in 1975, this hybrid cell is used to create an unlimited supply of monoclonal antibodies.

confirmatory test

A test that specifically identifies one substance.

Takayama

A test that confirms the presence of blood through the creation of crystals. This test is not species specific.

water

A reagent in the Takayama test; needed to create an aqueous environment.

NaOH

A reagent in the Takayama test; provides alkaline hydrolysis to free the heme groups from the hemoglobin present in the blood.

glucose

Also called dextrose, a reagent in the Takayama test; it is used to help reduce the central iron atom from ferric state into the ferrous state. It pushes the hemochromogen product out of the solution through preferential solubility.

heat

Used in the Takayama test to facilitate a faster reaction. After this, ferric iron is reduced to ferrous iron to then attach to the pyridine molecules and from the insoluble pyridine ferroprotoporphyrin, the Takayama crystals.

pyridine

A reagent in the Takayama test; it attaches to the fifth and sixth positions of the central iron atom, forming hemocromogen. It combines with the ferrous heme to form pink feathery crystals.

precipitation

The formation of a solid insoluble substance in a solution during a chemical reaction.

immunodiffusion

An immune test in which antibodies and antigens diffuse from separate wells in a gel medium to form a line of precipitate.

RSID

A blood test that detects glycophorin A instead of hemoglobin; it does not react with ferret blood.

Rapid Stain Identification Test

The backronym of RSID.

Hexagon OBTI

A blood test that distinguishes between human and animal blood, but cannot distinguish between domesticated ferrets, higher primates, and humans. It works by targeting human hemoglobin (hHb).

ABAcard HemaTrace

A blood test that distinguishes between human and animal blood, but cannot distinguish between domesticated ferrets, higher primates, and humans. It works by detecting peroxidase-like activity of human hemoglobin (hHb). This test was originally made to determine blood present in urine. It is quick and easy to reproduce.

High Dose Hook Effect

Shortened to "HDHE," it occurs when high blood concentrations may not produce a positive result. High levels of free Hb (target antigen) blocks the antibody at the "T" line and causes a false negative.

sample well

Where the blood sample and mobile dye are located in a test.

varies between types

The lifespan of white blood cells.