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x) Diseases of RBC
i) Decrease in RBC count - erythropenia
ii) Increase in RBC count - polycythemia
iii) Lack of oxygen carrying capacity of blood - anaemia
iv) Types of anaemia

Sr. No. Type of Anaemia Cause

1) Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) lack of iron in diet/ decreased absorption of iron in the body
2) Megaloblastic Anaemia Deficiency of vit. B12 & Folic acid
3) Pernicious Anaemia Deficiency of folic acid
4) Haemolytic Anaemia due to excess breakdown of RBCs
5) Sickle Cell Anaemia defect in beta- globulin chain where on the 6th position glutamic acid is
replaced by valine

2) Platelets :
i) Function of platelets is clotting of blood.
ii) Blood has natural anticoagulants called heparin and antithrombin
iii) Vitamin K is required for the formation of prothrombin.
iv) Ca++ is required for clotting process.
v) Artificial anticoagulants contain oxalates, citrates and bicarbonates and are used to store blood in a blood bank.
vi) A natural anticoagulant called hirudin is derived from the saliva of leeches.
vii) Diseases of platelets:
a) Decrease in platelet count – Thrombocytopenia
b) Increase in platelet count – Thrombocytosis
viii) Disorders of clotting :
ix) Deficiency of clotting factors leads to clotting disorders.
a) Deficiency of factor :
VIII – Haemophilia A
IX – Haemophilia B
XI – Haemophilia C
b) Haemophilia is also called as Bleeder’s disease/ Royal disease.
x) Thrombosis- Formation of a clot (thrombus) inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood
xi) Embolism- occurs when an object (usually a blood clot) migrates from one part of the body (through circulation)
andcauses a blockage (occlusion) of a blood vessel in another part of the body.

Blood Vessels
1) Blood Vessels :
i) Blood vessels of the blood vessels – Vasa vasorum.
ii) Arteries – Their tunica media may contain only scattered modified smooth muscle cells called pericytes.
iii) Arterioles – can control blood flow to the capillary beds they supply; blood flow changes from pulsatile to smooth.
Arterioles finally break up into blood capillaries.
They are more susceptible to injury & diseases e.g. Atherosclerosis.
iv) Capillaries :
Discovered by Marcello Malpighi, 1661
Blood flow is at its slowest through the capillaries because they are the narrowest vessels which means they have the
greatest friction which restricts blood flow.
This slow velocity aids the exchange of materials.
v) Types of capillaries
a) Continuous capillaries
b) Fenestrated capillaries
c) Discontinuous capillaries

Circulation
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a) Continuous capillaries :

1) Most common type

2) Surrounded by a basement membrane
3) Have tight occluding junctions and gap junctions between cells;
4) No pores or spaces between cells in walls.
5) Abundant in brain, parenchyma, connective tissues, skeletal muscle.
b) Fenestrated capillaries :

1) Also called perforated capillaries

2) Pores penetrate the endothelial cells
3) Found in tissues where rapid exchange of substances occurs
4) Present in villi of the intestinal wall, endocrine tissues, renal glomerulus & around renal tubules, choroid
plexus, mucosa of gastrointestinal tract, ciliary body of eye etc.

Circulation