Blood - Anatomy and Physiology Questions With
Complete Solutions
What are the transport functions of the blood? - ANSWER Delivers oxygen from the lungs and nutrients from the digestive tract to body cells, transports metabolic waste, and transports hormones to target organs.
What are the regulatory functions of the blood? - ANSWER Maintains body temperature (absorbs and redistributes heat), maintains a normal pH in body tissue (alkaline reserve through HCO3-), and maintains adequate fluid volume in circulatory
system.
What are the protective functions of the blood? - ANSWER Prevents blood loss (through platelets and plasma proteins) and prevents infection (through antibodies, complement proteins, and leukocytes).
What is hematocrit? - ANSWER The ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the total volume of blood.
Anemia - ANSWER Blood has an abnormally low O2 carrying capacity that is too low to support normal metabolism.
Symptoms of Anemia - ANSWER Fatigue, pallor, dyspnea, and chills.
What are the three groups of anemia based on cause? - ANSWER Blood loss, not enough RBCs produced, too many RBCs being destroyed.
Hemorrhagic anemia - ANSWER Rapid blood loss (example: severe wound); treated by blood replacement
Chronic hemorrhagic anemia - ANSWER Slight, but persistent blood loss (example: hemorrhoids, bleeding ulcer); primary problem must be treated to stop blood loss
Iron-deficiency anemia - ANSWER Can be caused by hemorrhagic anemia, but also by low iron intake or impaired absorption. RBCs produced are called microcytes, they are small, pale in color and cannot synthesize hemoglobin because there is a lack of iron. Treatment is iron supplements.
Pernicious anemia - ANSWER Autoimmune disease that destroys stomach mucosa that produces intrinsic factor (needed to absorb B12). Without B12, RBCs enlarge, but cannot divide, resulting in large macrocytes. Can be caused by low dietary intake of B12 (can be a problem for vegetarians). Treatment: B12 injections or nasal gel. What are the stem cells that give rise to all formed elements called? - ANSWER Hemocytoblasts or hematopoietic stem cells.
How is RBC production impacted by hypoxia? - ANSWER With low oxygen levels, the oxygen-sensitive enzymes in the kidneys are unable to breakdown hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). The accumulation of HIF stimulates the production of EPO.
Renal anemia - ANSWER Cause by the lack of EPO and often accompanies renal disease. Treatment includes synthetic EPO injections.
Aplastic anemia - ANSWER Destruction or inhibition of red bone marrow; can be caused by drugs, chemicals, radiation, or virus (usually the cause is unknown); all formed element lines are affected. Treatment is accomplished with transfusions in the short term and transplanted stem cells in the long term.
Hemolytic anemias - ANSWER Premature RBC lysis
Thalassemias - ANSWER Typically found in people of Mediterranean ancestry; RBCs are thin, delicate, and deficient in hemoglobin.
What is the treatment for acute crisis of sickle cell anemia? - ANSWER Blood transfusions and inhaled nitric oxide.
What can help prevent sickling of RBCs in sickle-cell anemia ? - ANSWER Hydroxyurea induces formation of fetal hemoglobin (which doesn't sickle), stem cell transplants, gene therapy, and nitric oxide for vasodilation.
Polycythemia - ANSWER Abnormal excess of RBCs; increase blood viscosity, causing sluggish blood flow.
Polycythemia Vera - ANSWER A bone marrow cancer that leads to an excess of RBCs. Hematocrit may go as high as 80%. the treatment is therapeutic phlebotomy.
Secondary polycythemia - ANSWER Caused by low oxygen levels or increased EPO production.
How do white blood cells move towards tissues and pathogens? - ANSWER The WBCs can leave capillaries via diapedesis. It can move though tissue spaces by amoeboid motion and positive chemotaxis.
What is a normal WBC count per microliter of blood? - ANSWER 5,000-10,000 WBCs per microliter of blood.
What WBC count is an indicator of leukopenia? - ANSWER < 5,000 WBCs per microliter
What WBC count is an indicator of leukocytosis? - ANSWER > 11,000 WBCs per microliter
Complete Solutions
What are the transport functions of the blood? - ANSWER Delivers oxygen from the lungs and nutrients from the digestive tract to body cells, transports metabolic waste, and transports hormones to target organs.
What are the regulatory functions of the blood? - ANSWER Maintains body temperature (absorbs and redistributes heat), maintains a normal pH in body tissue (alkaline reserve through HCO3-), and maintains adequate fluid volume in circulatory
system.
What are the protective functions of the blood? - ANSWER Prevents blood loss (through platelets and plasma proteins) and prevents infection (through antibodies, complement proteins, and leukocytes).
What is hematocrit? - ANSWER The ratio of the volume of red blood cells to the total volume of blood.
Anemia - ANSWER Blood has an abnormally low O2 carrying capacity that is too low to support normal metabolism.
Symptoms of Anemia - ANSWER Fatigue, pallor, dyspnea, and chills.
What are the three groups of anemia based on cause? - ANSWER Blood loss, not enough RBCs produced, too many RBCs being destroyed.
Hemorrhagic anemia - ANSWER Rapid blood loss (example: severe wound); treated by blood replacement
Chronic hemorrhagic anemia - ANSWER Slight, but persistent blood loss (example: hemorrhoids, bleeding ulcer); primary problem must be treated to stop blood loss
Iron-deficiency anemia - ANSWER Can be caused by hemorrhagic anemia, but also by low iron intake or impaired absorption. RBCs produced are called microcytes, they are small, pale in color and cannot synthesize hemoglobin because there is a lack of iron. Treatment is iron supplements.
Pernicious anemia - ANSWER Autoimmune disease that destroys stomach mucosa that produces intrinsic factor (needed to absorb B12). Without B12, RBCs enlarge, but cannot divide, resulting in large macrocytes. Can be caused by low dietary intake of B12 (can be a problem for vegetarians). Treatment: B12 injections or nasal gel. What are the stem cells that give rise to all formed elements called? - ANSWER Hemocytoblasts or hematopoietic stem cells.
How is RBC production impacted by hypoxia? - ANSWER With low oxygen levels, the oxygen-sensitive enzymes in the kidneys are unable to breakdown hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). The accumulation of HIF stimulates the production of EPO.
Renal anemia - ANSWER Cause by the lack of EPO and often accompanies renal disease. Treatment includes synthetic EPO injections.
Aplastic anemia - ANSWER Destruction or inhibition of red bone marrow; can be caused by drugs, chemicals, radiation, or virus (usually the cause is unknown); all formed element lines are affected. Treatment is accomplished with transfusions in the short term and transplanted stem cells in the long term.
Hemolytic anemias - ANSWER Premature RBC lysis
Thalassemias - ANSWER Typically found in people of Mediterranean ancestry; RBCs are thin, delicate, and deficient in hemoglobin.
What is the treatment for acute crisis of sickle cell anemia? - ANSWER Blood transfusions and inhaled nitric oxide.
What can help prevent sickling of RBCs in sickle-cell anemia ? - ANSWER Hydroxyurea induces formation of fetal hemoglobin (which doesn't sickle), stem cell transplants, gene therapy, and nitric oxide for vasodilation.
Polycythemia - ANSWER Abnormal excess of RBCs; increase blood viscosity, causing sluggish blood flow.
Polycythemia Vera - ANSWER A bone marrow cancer that leads to an excess of RBCs. Hematocrit may go as high as 80%. the treatment is therapeutic phlebotomy.
Secondary polycythemia - ANSWER Caused by low oxygen levels or increased EPO production.
How do white blood cells move towards tissues and pathogens? - ANSWER The WBCs can leave capillaries via diapedesis. It can move though tissue spaces by amoeboid motion and positive chemotaxis.
What is a normal WBC count per microliter of blood? - ANSWER 5,000-10,000 WBCs per microliter of blood.
What WBC count is an indicator of leukopenia? - ANSWER < 5,000 WBCs per microliter
What WBC count is an indicator of leukocytosis? - ANSWER > 11,000 WBCs per microliter
