Blood Lab - Hemoglobin

Key Concepts

• Red blood cells (RBCs) are about one-third hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the main protein that carries oxygen and some carbon dioxide in the blood.

• Healthy hemoglobin content in the blood varies with age, sex, and other factors. Generally, the values below are considered the normal range.

  • Male: 14–18 g Hb/100 mL

  • Female: 12–16 g Hb/100 mL

• The hemoglobin content of blood is one measure of the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

• An abnormally elevated hemoglobin content will occur if someone is "blood doping."

• Blood doping refers to any of several methods used to increase the blood oxygen-carrying capacity.

Overview

• In this simulation, you will measure the hemoglobin content of three blood samples from athletes.

• Your job is to determine if any of the athletes are blood doping.

• You have blood samples of known values to compare. Positive control represents a doped sample. Negative control represents a sample that is not doped.

• Take a moment to reflect on personal safety precautions. Working with blood is a potentially hazardous situation. In real life, you should:

  • Wash the laboratory lab benches before and after the procedures with an appropriate disinfectant.

  • Wear disposable gloves and goggles when handling blood samples.

  • Wash your hands after the laboratory.

  • Only use a blood lancet once.

  • Dispose of used lancets, pipettes, and other blood contaminated items in the appropriate hazardous waste container, never a regular trash container.

Before you begin

• Blood must be placed in a chamber and stirred with a chemical to allow the hemoglobin to come out of the RBCs and into solution.

• The chamber is then placed into a hemoglobinometer, which reads the hemoglobin content based on how light passes through the hemoglobin solution.

• Adjust the slider so the two green halves of the meter look the same.

• Read the hemoglobin content (in g Hb/100 mL) from the slider position

Laboratory Simulation

Methods

• Phase 1: Identify lab equipment

  • Identify equipment in lab

• Phase 2: Positive control sample

  • Use pipette to drop blood from positive sample in blood chamber. Dispose of pipette in Sharps container

  • Use hemolysis applicator to smear blood until it is darker color. Select applicator to dispose of it

  • Add chamber cover to blood chamber and move to hemoglobinometer

  • Measure hemoglobin content by adjusting slider (+ / - buttons) to match light intensity in viewfinder of hemoglobinometer. Record in Lab Data

• Phase 3: Negative control sample

  • Use pipette to drop blood from negative sample in blood chamber. Dispose of pipette in Sharps container

  • Use hemolysis applicator to smear blood until it is darker color. Select applicator to dispose of it

  • Add chamber cover to blood chamber and move to hemoglobinometer

  • Measure hemoglobin content by adjusting slider (+ / - buttons) to match light intensity in viewfinder of hemoglobinometer. Record in Lab Data

• Phase 4: Sample A

  • Use pipette to drop blood from sample A in blood chamber. Dispose of pipette in Sharpe container

  • Use hemolysis applicator to smear blood until it is darker color. Select applicator to dispose of it

  • Add chamber cover to blood chamber and move to hemoglobinometer

  • Measure hemoglobin content by adjusting slider (+ / - buttons) to match light intensity in viewfinder of hemoglobinometer. Record in Lab Data

• Phase 5: Sample B

  • Use pipette to drop blood from sample B in blood chamber. Dispose of pipette in Sharps container

  • Use hemolysis applicator to smear blood until it is darker color. Select applicator to dispose of it

  • Add chamber cover to blood chamber and move to hemoglobinometer

  • Measure hemoglobin content by adjusting slider (+ / - buttons) to match light intensity in viewfinder of hemoglobinometer. Record in Lab Data

• Phase 6: Sample C

  • Use pipette to drop blood from sample C in blood chamber. Dispose of pipette in Sharps container

  • Use hemolysis applicator to smear blood until it is darker color. Select applicator to dispose of it

  • Add chamber cover to blood chamber and move to hemoglobinometer

  • Measure hemoglobin content by adjusting slider (+ / - buttons) to match light intensity in viewfinder of hemoglobinometer. Record in Lab Data

• Phase 7: Lab wrap-up

  • Select your answer to the question

• Phase 8: Apply what you have learned

  • Select your answer to the question

• Phase 9: Save Lab Data

  • Relevant Lab Data is available to be saved for personal reference. Data will be available if you return to this laboratory simulation

Collected Data