Blood diseases, such as anemia and sickle cell disease, will cause an abnormally low hemoglobin. To aid in diagnosing anemia and other blood disorders and certain cancers of the blood; to monitor blood loss and infection; or to monitor response to cancer therapy, such as chemotherapy and radiation.
To evaluate bleeding and clotting disorders and to monitor anticoagulation anticlotting therapies. Your healthcare provider will explain the purpose and results of any blood tests with you.
Search Encyclopedia. Overview of Blood and Blood Components What is blood? Blood is the life-maintaining fluid that circulates through the entire body. What is the function of blood? Blood carries the following to the body tissues: Nourishment Electrolytes Hormones Vitamins Antibodies Heat Oxygen Immune cells cells that fight infection Blood carries the following away from the body tissues: Waste matter Carbon dioxide What are the components of blood?
The components of human blood are: Plasma. The liquid component of the blood in which the following blood cells are suspended: Red blood cells erythrocytes. These carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body White blood cells leukocytes. These help in blood clotting. Where are blood cells made? At this point, the cell is called a reticulocyte. Finally, the cell becomes a full mature red blood cell and enters the blood, ready to transport oxygen throughout the body.
The life of a red blood cell is short due to its lack of nucleus; human red blood cells only survive for about days. When red blood cells are old or damage, they are ready to be eliminated from the bloodstream.
Red blood cell removal is controlled by specialized cells called macrophages in the spleen part of the lymphatic system and the liver.
The spleen disposes of worn-out red blood cells and controls the amount of blood cells at work in the body. Additionally, the liver recycles iron from damaged red blood cells. Together, the macrophages in the spleen and liver remove old red blood cells from the body. Red blood cell count can also be reduced by certain drug interactions or nutritional deficiencies iron, copper, vitamin B-6, vitamin B, or folate. While some red blood cell diseases can be caused by illnesses or nutritional deficiencies, others are inherited.
Diseases involving red blood cells include anemia low red blood cell count or low hemoglobin , thalassemia inherited blood disorders , and polycythemia vera or other blood cancers. Bone marrow disease and hypoxia low blood oxygen levels are also possibilities. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
Patient Education. Understanding Blood and Blood Components Blood is a fluid that flows throughout the body in blood vessels. What are the components of blood? Where is blood made in the body? Blood and plasma are made in the following ways: Blood cells are made in the bone marrow.
Yes No. Tell us more. Last question: How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself? Not at all A little Somewhat Quite a bit Extremely. Thank You! Start New Patient Education Search. Hemoglobin is composed of four protein subunits, two alpha chains and two beta chains, and a heme group that has iron associated with it.
Unlike hemoglobin, hemolymph is not carried in blood cells, but floats free in the hemolymph. Copper, instead of iron, binds the oxygen, giving the hemolymph a blue-green color. Like hemoglobin, hemerythrin is carried in blood cells and has iron associated with it, but despite its name, hemerythrin does not contain heme.
Not all organisms use hemoglobin as the method of oxygen transport. Invertebrates that utilize hemolymph rather than blood use different pigments containing copper or iron to bind to the oxygen. Hemocyanin, a blue-green, copper-containing protein is found in mollusks, crustaceans, and some of the arthropods b. Chlorocruorin, a green-colored, iron-containing pigment, is found in four families of polychaete tubeworms.
Hemerythrin, a red, iron-containing protein, is found in some polychaete worms and annelids c. Despite the name, hemerythrin does not contain a heme group; its oxygen-carrying capacity is poor compared to hemoglobin. The small size and large surface area of red blood cells allow for rapid diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide across the plasma membrane. In the lungs, carbon dioxide is released while oxygen is taken in by the blood. In the tissues, oxygen is released from the blood while carbon dioxide is bound for transport back to the lungs.
Studies have found that hemoglobin also binds nitrous oxide NO. Nitrous oxide is a vasodilator: an agent that causes dilation of the blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure. It relaxes the blood vessels and capillaries which may help with gas exchange and the passage of red blood cells through narrow vessels. Nitroglycerin, a heart medication for angina and heart attacks, is converted to NO to help relax the blood vessels, increasiing oxygen flow throughout the body. A characteristic of red blood cells is their glycolipid and glycoprotein coating; these are lipids and proteins that have carbohydrate molecules attached.
In humans, the surface glycoproteins and glycolipids on red blood cells vary between individuals, producing the different blood types, such as A, B, and O. Red blood cells have an average life span of days, at which time they are broken down and recycled in the liver and spleen by phagocytic macrophages, a type of white blood cell.
The role of white blood cells is very different from that of red blood cells. They are primarily involved in the immune response to identify and target pathogens, such as invading bacteria, viruses, and other foreign organisms. White blood cells are formed continually; some live only for hours or days, while some live for years. The morphology of white blood cells differs significantly from red blood cells.
They have nuclei and do not contain hemoglobin. The different types of white blood cells are identified by their microscopic appearance after histologic staining. Each has a different, specialized function.
One of the two main groups are the granulocytes, which contain granules in their cytoplasm, and include the neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils a. The second main group is the agranulocytes, which lack granules in their cytoplasm, and include the monocytes and lymphocytes b. Types of white blood cells : a Granulocytes neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils are characterized by a lobed nucleus and granular inclusions in the cytoplasm.
Granulocytes are typically first-responders during injury or infection. Lymphocytes, including B and T cells, are responsible for adaptive immune response. Monocytes differentiate into macrophages and dendritic cells, which in turn respond to infection or injury.
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