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Anatomy-and-Pathophysiology-of-Anemia LEVEL 2

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225 views8 pages

Anatomy-and-Pathophysiology-of-Anemia LEVEL 2

Uploaded by

Briana Louise Hernandez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Blood is a constantly circulating fluid providing the body with nutrition, oxygen, and
waste removal. Blood is mostly liquid, with numerous cells and proteins suspended
in it, making blood "thicker" than pure water. The average person has about 5 liters
(more than a gallon) of blood.

A liquid called plasma makes up about half of the content of blood. Plasma contains
proteins that help blood to clot, transport substances through the blood. Blood
plasma also contains glucose and other dissolved nutrients. About half of blood
volume is composed of blood cells:

Anatomy Physiology

• Red blood cells, *scientific name for red blood cells is erythrocytes.

*they are formed in the bone marrow and are


created by a stem cell.

*Red cells are the most numerous of all blood


cells in the blood. They are produced at a rate of
4-5 billion every hour in an adult human!
It looks like a doughnut, but without a hole in
the middle. Red cells are 7-8 microns in
diameter. Yet, they are the heaviest particles in
the blood.

*After they deliver the oxygen, the red blood


cells pick up a waste product called carbon
dioxide, known as CO2. Then they make the
return trip back to the lungs through the veins
where the CO2 can finally be released. The body
eliminates carbon dioxide every time we
breathe out! Then, the red blood cells start the
trip all over again.

Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein


that carries oxygen. Oxygen is known as O2.
Each time we take a breath in, we are inhaling
oxygen in the air.

The role of red cells is to absorb oxygen through


the little alveoli in your lungs and deliver it to all
the muscles, tissues and organs in your body.
To do this, they travel through large arteries and
tiny capillaries. Sometimes the capillaries are so
small, the red cells have to squeeze and bend
themselves in half to get through in order to
release their load of oxygen!

• White blood cells

White Blood Cells, Platelets (stained purple), a T-Lymphocyte white cell (stained green),
and a Monocyte white cell (stained gold) as seen through a scanning electron
microscope. ©2000 Dennis Kunkel, Ph.D.
scientific name for white blood cells is Leukocytes.

White blood cells are an important part of our


body's immune system. Their role is to defend
the body against infection by germs.

White blood cells are capable of passing


through the walls of capillaries (tiny blood
vessels) in order to attack, kill and consume
intruder germs.

There are many different kinds of white blood cells and each one has a
very specific job to do. There are lymphocyte T cells and lymphocyte B
cells, monocytes, and granulocytes.

Granulocytes contain little granules in their


cytoplasm, or cell matter. Granulocytes can be
identified even further as neutrophils, basophils
and eosinophils. Granulocytes recognize signals
that enemy germs send out when they invade
the body.

Monocytes and lymphocytes do not contain any


granules. But when granulocytes detect an enemy
germ, they and the monocytes find it and eat it!
Then the monocyte examines the bits of protein the
germ was made of to see how it was put together.
Next, the monocyte calls on the lymphocyte T cell
(or Helper T cell) which learns to recognize what
the germ looks like.

The lymphocyte T cell then engages the help of the


lymphocyte B cell which makes a special weapon
called an antibody to use against the germ. The
lymphocyte B cell produces copy after copy of
these antibody weapons.

When the antibody weapon finds its target, the


germ is stunned, wounded and killed.

Then the granulocyte and monocyte move in to


finish it off!
There are between 7,000 to 25,000 white cells in a
single drop of blood!
• Platelets

Inactivated (smooth) platelet (stained blue) among spiky, activated platelets as seen through a
scanning electron microscope. ©2000 Dennis Kunkel, Ph.D.

Platelets are sticky little pieces that help prevent bleeding and make the
blood clot when a cut is made.

When a stem cell decides to make platelets,


it turns into a factory cell called a
megakaryocyte. This is a very large cell with
several nuclei. The megakaryocyte never
leaves the bone marrow, but it does produce
many, many tiny fragments. These
fragments are actually the platelets, small
pieces of cell material or cytoplasm.

Platelets do leave the bone marrow and circulate freely in the


bloodstream.
Normally, platelets look round and smooth, but when they get busy
plugging up cuts and wounds they become spiky and ragged around the
edges.
When an injury occurs to a blood vessel wall,
the platelets respond by literally throwing
themselves over the cut to form a temporary
plug within minutes slowing the loss of
blood.

The platelets also attract a protein found in plasma called fibrin and use it
to form a dense netting that traps red blood cells and quickly becomes a
clot.

All of the blood cells in your body are mixed together in a slightly yellowish
liquid called Plasma. Plasma is mostly made up of water, but also contains
proteins, sugars and salt. In addition to carrying blood cells throughout the
body, plasma also carries hormones, nutrients and chemicals, such as iron.

Plasma has the important function of maintaining the pH of the blood at


approximately 7.4.

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