Chapter 9 Study Guide
Blood and Immune System
Anatomy and Physiology
● Structures
○ Blood (“circulating tissue”) is classified as connective tissue.
○ Whole blood is made up of 45% formed elements (cells and cell fragments)
and 55% plasma (liquid).
○ Formed elements are produced in bone marrow and inclue erythrocytes,
leukocytes, and platelets.
○ Erythrocytes (red blood cells) are bioconcave discs with no nucleus
○ Leukocytes, or white blood cells, are colorless cells that circulate in body
fluids. There are 5 classes of leukocytes
○ Platelets (thrombocytes) are cell fragments without a nucleus.
○ Plasma (full matrix of blood) contains proteins and other solutes.
○ Plasma proteins include albumin (the main protein), fibrinogen (blood
clotter) and globulins (antibodies)
○ Serum is plasms without fibrinogen
○ The immune system includes organs that provide defense, known as the
immune response.
● Functions
○ Transporting oxyen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, electrolytes, vitamins,
hormones, and wastes throughout the body
○ Protecting the body with circulating white blood cells, antibodies of the
immune system, and clotting factors
○ Protecting the body by naturally and artificially acquired immunity
○ Producing an immune response (the body’s reaction to an antigen), such as
producing antibodies as a reaction to the toxin or foreign substance
● Terms Related to Blood and the Immune System
○ Blood - fluid that circulates through the heart, artieries, capillaries, and veins,
transporting oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nutrients to the tissues
○ Formed elements - blood cells and cellular fragments
○ Packed cell volume - the volume of blood cells in a sample after it has been
centrifuged; normally about 45% of the blood sample
○ Plasma - liquid portion of blood that carries formed elements, clotting factors,
electrolytes, and proteins
○ Serum - liquid portion of blood left after removing the clotting factors and blood
cells
○ Bone marrow - soft tissue within medullary cavities of bone, with multiple
functions including the production of blood cells
○ Erythropoletin (EPO) - hormone released by kidneys that stimulates red blood
cell production in bone marrow
○ Hemopolesis, hematoplesis - formation of various types of blood cells and other
formed elements
○ Lymphatic system - network of vessels, lymph nodes, and lymphatic organs that
plays a role in immunity by collecting lymph
○ Lymph - colorless fluid containing white blood cells that drains through the
lymphatic system into the bloodstream
○ Lymph node - bean-shaped body in which lymph is filtered and lymphocytes are
formed
○ Spleen - vascular lymphatic organ responsible for filtering blood, destroyign old
red blood cells, producing red blood cells before birth, and storing blood
○ Erythrocyte - red blood cell that carries oxygen and carbon dioxide
○ Hemoglobin - protein in red blood cells that binds to oxygen; gives red blood
cells the characteristic color
○ Iron (Fe) - essential trace element necessary for hemoglobin to transport oxygen
in red blood cells
○ Macrocyte - a large red blood cell
○ Rh factor - protein substance present in the red blood cells of most people (85%);
it is capable of inducing intense antigenic reactions
○ Leukocyte - largest blood cell; white blood cell that proctects against pathogens,
foreign substances, anf cellular debris
○ Granulocyte - white blood cell with visible granules; the three types of
granulocytes are named according to the type of dye to which each is attracted
○ Neutrophil - type of granulocyte that fights against bacterial infections; stains a
neutral pink
○ Eosinophil - type of granulocyte that functions in allergic reactions and against
parasites; stains red; 2-4% of circulating WBCs
○ Basophil - type of granulocyte that releases histamine in allergic reactions and
inflammatory responses; stains a dark blue with a basic dye; 0.5-1.0% of
circulating WBCs
○ Agranulocyte - white blood cell without cleaarly visible granules
○ Lymphocyte - type of agranulocyte that circulates in the lymphatic system and is
active in immunity; 20-25% of circulating WBCs
○ B lymphocyte; B cell - white blood cell that, when in contact with a foreign
antigen, produces antibodies to inactivate the antigen
○ T lymphocyte; T cell - white blood cell that matures in the thymus gland and
specializes in creating an immune response
○ Monocyte - largest type of white blood cell; 3-8% of circulating WBCs
○ Macrophange - enlarged and matured monocyte active in phagocytosis (eating
and destroying)
○ Platelets; thrombocytes - cellular fragments in the blood that stick together,
forming a clot
○ Clotting factors - any of the various plasma components involved in the clotting
process
○ Coagulation - clotting; changing from a liquid to a solid state
○ Fibrin - elastic fiber protein needed in clotting and derived from fibrinogen
○ Fibrinogen - plasma protein that is converted into solid threads called fibrin
○ Antibody (Ab) - soldier-like protein that protects the body and inactivates
antigens; provides immunity against specific substances and microorganisms
○ Antigen (Ag) - agent or substance that provokes an immune response
○ Histamine - substance released by damaged cells that increases blood flow to the
area, causing an inflammatory response (inflammation) involving heat, redness,
swelling, and pain
○ Immune response - the body’s reaction to an antigen
○ Immunity - protection against disease
○ Pathogen - any virus, microorganism, or other substance that causes disease
○ Phagocytosis - cellular process of eating and destroying substances, usually by
the neutrophils and macrophages
Word Parts
● Combining Forms
○ chrom/o, chromat/o - color
○ cyt/o - cell
○ erythr/o - red
○ granul/o - granules
○ hem/o, hemat/o - blood
○ immun/o - immune, safe
○ leuk/o - white
○ lymph/o - lymph
○ neutr/o - neutral
○ nucle/o - nucleus
○ path/o - disease
○ phag/o - eat, swallow
○ phleb/o - vein
○ plas/o - formation, growth
○ thromb/o - blood clot
● Prefixes
○ auto- (self, same)
○ basi-, baso- (base)
○ macro- (large, long)
○ mono- (one)
○ pro- (before, promoting)
○ poly- (many, much)
● Suffixes
○ -cyte (cell)
○ -emia (blood/condition of)
○ -sis (condition, process)
○ -gen (origin, production)
○ -lysis (deconstruction, breakdown, separation)
○ -osis (abnormal condition)
○ -penia (deficiency)
○ -philia (attraction for, liking)
○ -polesis (production, formation)
○ -rrhage (flowing forth)
○ -y (condition of)
Medical Terms
● Adjectives and Other Related Terms
○ Autoimmunity - pertaining to one’s immune system attacking its own tissues or
cells
○ Cytopathic - pertaining to a disease or disorder of a cell or cellular component
○ Hemopoletic, hematopoletic - pertaining to the formation of blood cells
○ Hemolytic - pertaining to the rupture or destruction of red blood cells
○ Hemorrhagic - pertaining to profuse or excessive bleeding
○ Hemostasis - stopping blood flow or arresting bleeding
○ Hypersensitive - condition of excessive response or an exaggerated sensitivity to
a stimulus
○ Inflammatory - pertaining to heat, redness, swelling, and pain in response to
tissue injury
○ Predisposition - condition of being susceptible to disease
○ Proliferative - growing and increasing in number of similar cells
○ Rejection - immunologic response of incompatibility to a transplanted organ or
tissue
○ Systemic- pertaining ot the whole body
○ Virulent - denotes an extremely toxic pathogen
● Medical Conditions
○ anemia - condition in which the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin or packed
cell volume is lower than normal
○ aplastic anemia - disorder in which the bone marrow does not produce enough
red blood cells
○ iron deficiency anemia - disorder in which hemoglobin is unable to transpoprt
oxygen die to lack of iron
○ pernicious anemia - disorder in which the number of red blood cells decreases
with simultaneous enlargment of individual cells due to an inability to absorb
vitamin B12; usually in older adults
○ hemorrhagic anemia, blood loss anemia - disorder involving lack of blood cells
due to profuse blood loss
○ thalassemia - disorder caused by a genetic defect resulting in low hemoglobin
production
○ sickle cell anemia - disorder caused by a genetic defect resulting in abnormal
hemoglobin causing sickle-shaped red blood cells, which have difficulty moving
through small capillary vessels
○ autoimmune disease - condition in which the immune system attacks normal
body tissue
○ clotting disorder - condition characterized by an inability of blood to cogulate
○ hemophilia - bleeding disorder due to a deficiency of a clotting facot
○ thrombocytopenia - disorder involving low levels of platelets in the blood
○ idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) - disorder resulting from platelet
destruction by macrophages characterized by bruising and bleeding from mucous
membranes
○ von Williebrand disease (vWD) - bleeding disorder characterized by a tendency
to bleed primarily from the mucous membranes due to a deficiency of a clotting
factor
○ hemochromatosis - excessive absorption and storage of dietary iron in body
tissues causing dysfunction
○ mononucleosis - increase of mononuclear leukocytes with symptoms of fever,
enlarged cervical lymph nodes, and fatigue
○ pancytopenia - deficiency in all types of blood cells
○ polycythemia - increase in number of red blood cells
○ rheumatoid arthritis (RA) - autoimmune disease causing progressive destructive
changes and inflammation in multiple joints, especially in the hands and feet
○ septicemia - spread of microorganisms or toxins through circulating blood
○ Sjogren syndrome - chronic autoimmune disease characterized by degeneration
of the salivary and lacrimal glands causing dryness of the mouth and eyes and
other mucous membranes
○ systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) - inflammatory, autoimmune, connective
tissue disease that can affect all organ systems
○ thrombosis - abnormal presence of clotting within a blood vessel
● Tests and Procedures
○ albumin - measurement of this protein level; used to diagnose liver or kidney
problems, inflammation, malnutrition, or dehydration
○ bilirubin - screen for liver disorders or anemia; bile, found in bilirubin, is yellow
pigment formed from hemoglobin and excess is associated with jaundice
○ blood smear - evaluation of the appearance and number of blood cells and the
different types of white blood cells
○ complete blood count (CBC) - automated count of all blood cells
○ erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) - time measurement of red blood cells
settling in a test tube over one hour; used to diagnose inflammation and anemias
○ hematocrit (HCT, hct) - percentage of red blood cells in a sample of whole
blood; used to diagnose various disorders including anemia
○ hemoglobin (HGB, Hgb, Hb) test - test for the red blood cell protein responsible
for binding oxygen; used to diagnose various disorders including anemia
○ platelet count (PLT) - number of platelets present; used to diagnose bleeding
disorders or bone marrow disease
○ red blood cell count (RBC) - number of erythrocytes present; used to diagnose
various disorders including anemia
○ white blood cell count (WBC) - number of leukocytes present; used to diagnose
various disorders, including infections and diseases, and for monitoring treatment
○ crossmatching - blood typing test for compatibility between donor and recipient
blood
○ culture and sensitivity (C&S) - growing a microorganism from a specimen taken
from the body to determine its susceptibility to particular medications
○ prothrombin time (PT) - measurement of time for blood to clot
○ differential white blood count - test that determines the number of each type of
white blood cell in a blood sample
○ antinuclear antibody (ANA) test - assessment for autoimmune disorders such as
systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and others
○ Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody test - diagnostic test for mononucleosis and
evaluation of Epstein-Barr virus
○ mononucleosis spot test - assessment for mononucleosis
○ rheumatoid factor test - test for rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren syndrome
● Surgical Interventions and Therapeutic Procedures
○ aphresis - infusion of a patient’s own blood after certain cellular or fluid elements
have been removed; used especially to remove antibodies in treating autoimmune
disorders
○ blood transfusion (BT) - transfer of blood between compatible donor and
recipient
○ autologous blood - blood donated for future use by same patient; usually
presurgical
○ blood component therapy - transfusion of specific blood components such as
packed red blood cells, plasma, or platelets
○ homologous blood - blood donated from same species for use by a compatible
recipient
○ bone marrow transplant (BMA) - removal of a small amount of fluid and cells
from inside the bone with a needle and syringe
○ immunization, vaccination - administration of a weakened or killed pathogen, or
a protein of a pathogen, to cause the immune system to create antibodies for
future protection
○ immunosuppression - use of chemotherapy or immunosuppressant drugs to
interfere with immune responses; usually prescribed for autoimmune disorders
○ phlebotomy, venipuncture - incision into a vein to inject a solution or withdraw
blood
○ plasmapheresis - removal and replacement of a patient’s own blood after plasms
has been removed and replaced with a plasma substitute
○ splenectomy - surgical removal of the spleen
● Medications and Drug Therapies
○ antibiotic - drug that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms
○ anticoagulant - drug that prevents or inhibits blood clotting
○ antihistamine - drug used to stop the effects of histamine; used especially to treat
allergies
○ hemostatic agent, procoagulant - drug that stops the flow of blood within
vessels
○ immune serum, antiserum - serum containing antibodies against specific
antigens; used to treat specific diseases
○ immunosuppressant - drug used to suppress or reduce immune responses in
organ transplant recipients or those with severe autoimmune disease
○ thrombolytic agent - drug that dissolves a blood clot
○ vaccine - preparation composed of a weakened or killed pathogen
● Specialties and Specialists
○ allergology - medical specialty concerned with diagnosis and treatment of allergy
conditions
○ allergist - physician who specializes in the treatment of allergies
○ hematology - medical specialty concerned with diagnosis and treatment of
disorder of the blood and blood-forming organs
○ hematologist - physician who specializes in hematology
○ immunology - medical specialty concerned with immunity, allergy, and induced
sensitivity
○ immunologist - one who practices immunology
○ rheumatology - medical specialty concerned with diagnosis and treatment of
rheumatoid conditions (those affecting joints), arthritis, and autoimmune disease
○ rheumatologist - a physician who specializes in rheumatology
● Abbreviations
○ Ab - antibody
○ Ag - antigen
○ ANA - antinuclear antibody test
○ BMA - bone marrow aspiration
○ BMT - bone marrow transplant
○ BT - blood transfusion
○ CBC - complete blood count
○ C&S - culture and sensitivity
○ EBV - Epstein-Barr virus
○ EPO - erythropoletin
○ ESR - erythrocyte sedimentation rate
○ Fe - iron
○ HCT, Hct, ht - hematocrit
○ HGB, Hb, Hgb - hemoglobin
○ ITP - idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
○ PLT - platelet or platelet count
○ PT - prothrombin time
○ RA - rheumatoid arthritis
○ RBC - red blood cell, red blood cell count
○ SLE - systemic lupus erythematosus
○ vWD - von Williebrand disease
○ WBC - white blood cell, white blood cell count