Anatomy and Physiology: Blood Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering the characteristics, cells, hemostatic mechanisms, and properties of blood based on the A&P study guide.

Plasma

The clear, straw-colored fluid extracellular matrix of blood in which cells, platelets, nutrients, hormones, proteins, and wastes are suspended.

Hematopoiesis

The process of blood cell formation that takes place primarily in the red bone marrow.

Erythrocytes

Red blood cells shaped as biconcave discs that lack a nucleus and function to transport oxygen using hemoglobin.

Hemoglobin

The oxygen-carrying blood protein composed of 4 polypeptide chains and 4 heme groups.

Oxyhemoglobin

The bright red molecule formed when hemoglobin combines with oxygen.

Deoxyhemoglobin

The darker red form of hemoglobin that results when oxygen is released.

Iron

A critical nutrient incorporated into the heme group that is necessary for the synthesis of hemoglobin.

Anemia

A class of conditions characterized by a reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

Leukocytes

White blood cells that develop from hematopoietic stem cells in red bone marrow to protect the body against disease.

Diapedesis

The process by which white blood cells move out of blood vessels by squeezing between cells into tissues.

Amoeboid motion

A crawling type of self-propulsion used by leukocytes to move through interstitial spaces.

Positive chemotaxis

The attraction and movement of leukocytes toward a site of tissue damage in response to chemicals released by damaged cells.

Pus

A thick fluid formed in inflamed tissue composed of an accumulation of leukocytes, damaged host cells, and bacteria.

Granulocytes

A category of white blood cells characterized by visible granules in their cytoplasm, including neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils.

Agranulocytes

A category of white blood cells that lack visible granules in their cytoplasm, comprising lymphocytes and monocytes.

Lymphocytes

A type of agranulocyte leukocyte essential for immunity, with major types including T cells and B cells.

Megakaryocytes

Large cells in the bone marrow that develop extensions that tear to form cell fragments known as platelets.

Nonprotein nitrogenous substances

Nitrogen-containing molecules in plasma that are not proteins, including urea, uric acid, creatine, creatinine, and amino acids.

Vascular spasm

The immediate, short-lived hemostatic response to blood vessel injury in which a damaged vessel narrows to minimize blood loss.

Coagulation

The most effective hemostatic mechanism, which forms a blood clot utilizing fibrin threads to reinforce a platelet plug.

Prostacyclin

A compound produced by endothelial cells in a healthy cardiovascular system that inhibits the adherence of platelets to the endothelium.

Antigen

Any molecule that triggers an immune response, including the surface molecules on red blood cells that determine ABO and Rh blood types.

Rh blood group

A blood group determined by specific antigens on red blood cell membranes, primarily including the D antigen.