BLOOD

PHLEBOTOMIST

person trained to
draw blood from a
patient for clinical or
medical testing,
transfusions,
donations, or
research.
Blood transports substances
and maintains homeostasis
in the body

Hematophobia
= fear of blood
Blood and Blood Cells
Blood is a type of CONNECTIVE TISSUE

It has two basic components:

CELLS (rbc, wbc, platelets) = 45%

Plasma (water, proteins, amino acids..etc) = 55%

 To determine the
percentages, blood is placed
in a centrifuge. Heavier
cells settle to the bottom of
the sample.

Hematocrit = the percentage of blood & plasma

blood cells = 45%.
fluid (plasma) = (55%).
Three Types of Blood Cells
erythrocytes = red blood cells
leukocytes = white blood cells
thrombocytes= platelets
Shape =
Biconcave discs
5 million per cubic
millimeter (drop)

Red blood cells lack a NUCLEUS.

Question: How do you get DNA from blood cells?

HEMATOPOEISIS
– formation of blood cells
-- occurs in the bone marrow

Old blood cells are destroyed by the liver

& spleen - phagocytosis
EPO, or erythropoietin, is a hormone that increases
production of RBC’s.
2013 - The International Olympic
Committee strips Armstrong of
the bronze medal he won at the
2000 Olympic Games in Sydney,
Australia. - In an interview with
Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong admits
to using banned performance-
enhancing drugs during his
cycling career.
EPO raises your hematocrit level,
How do you think
thickening the blood, increasing
athletes are tested for risk of stroke.
this type of cheating?
Main Functions of RBCs
Transports oxygen, remove carbon dioxide
What part of the cell needs oxygen?

HEMOGLOBIN - protein that

combines with O2

IRON is the binding site of oxygen

 Oxygen Levels

Oxyhemoglobin =
plenty of oxygen; “bright red”
Deoxyhemoglobin =
low in O2, “dark red”
It is a myth that deoxygenated blood appears blue.

The blood on the left is oxygenated, the right is

deoxygenated blood (from a vein)

Source: Wikipedia Commons

Elements Critical to RBC Production
●Folic Acid
●Vitamin B12
●Iron
Too few RBC = anemia
 WHITE BLOOD CELLS (Leukocytes)
●General function is to protect the body against disease
●There are FIVE different kinds of WBCs

Granulocytes (granular cytoplasm)

Neutrophils, Eosinophils, Basophils
Agranulocytes (lacking granular cytoplasm)
Monocytes, Lymphocytes
The white blood cells are found within the red blood cells, there
are not as many WBC’s and generally, they are larger than RBC’s.
Neutrophil (nucleus has several lobes)
-Active phagocytes
-60% of WBC
-Present in the pus
neutrophil (yellow)
phagocytosing anthrax
bacilli (orange)
Eosinophil
Mainly attack parasites
2% WBC

Schistosome worm
Basophil
Produces
Heparin = blood thinner

Histamines = Important in
Inflammatory Reaction
1% WBC

Writing on Legs
Dermatographia:
Immune system releases
excess amounts of
histamine causing welts
to appear when lightly
scratched.

Cold Urticaria (essentially

meaning "cold hives") is an
where hives or large red welts
form on the skin after exposure to
a cold stimulus.
Monocyte (large cell, horseshoe shaped nucleus)

Can become
macrophages or
dendritic cells

-phagocytosis
-antigen-presenting
Dendritic cells
present antigens
to T cells.

They act as
messengers.
Lymphocyte LYMPH
NODES
(nucleus is dark and takes up
almost whole cell)

Main defense
(immune system)

Produce ANTIBODIES
30% WBC
Left: Lymphoctye | Right: Neutrophil
Specific Immune Response
Memory B Cells
Killer (Cytotoxic) T Cells
Platelets (thrombocytes)
Blood clots and vessel repair
PLASMA
The liquid portion of
blood is 92% water

Also contains nutrients,

gases, vitamins (etc)
and plasma proteins
Plasma Proteins
●Albumins – blood pressure
●Globulins – transport antibodies
●Fibrinogen – blood clotting
This machine removes the plasma from the
blood and returns the RBC’s to the donor.
HEMOSTASIS
The process of stopping bleeding
Involves the coagulation and clotting of the blood
to seal the site of damage
THREE EVENTS IN HEMOSTASIS

1. Blood Vessel Spasm

Serotonin = vasoconstrictor

2. Platelet plug formation -

closes the opening
3. Coagulation - Fibrin forms over
the plug and reinforces
* forms a scab
THROMBIN - an enzyme in blood plasma that
causes the clotting of blood by converting
fibrinogen to fibrin.
COAGULATION - the thickening of blood to
form a clot (hematoma)
Why are newborns given Vitamin K injections?

Babies can be given the

injection in hospital after they’re
born.

In newborns, vitamin K can

prevent a bleeding disorder
called ‘vitamin K deficiency
bleeding’ (VKDB), also known
as ‘haemorrhagic disease of the
newborn’ (HDN).
When you don’t have proteins that help your blood
to clot, you have this disease…...

HEMOPHILIA

“Bleeder’s disease”
THROMBUS – blood
clot (abnormal)

EMBOLUS – when the

clot moves to another
place.
* Pulmonary Embolism -
when a blood clot goes to * Cerebral Embolism - when
the lungs a blood clot goes to the brain