BIO 436 Final Exam Questions and
Complete Solutions
Plasma ✅55% of blood, containing:
Water, Ions, Organic molecules, Amino acids, Proteins: Albumins Globulins Fibrinogen,
Glucose, Lipids, Nitrogenous waste, Trace elements and vitamins, Gases: CO2 O2
Dissolved gases ✅CO2 (10% of total CO2 in blood)
Large plasma proteins ✅Albumins, globulins, fibrinogen
Small/soluble blood components ✅antibodies and antigens
RBC's (erythrocytes) ✅Most dense
Short Lifespan: avg. 4 months, or 120 days
Comes from stem cells in bone marrow
Formation is triggered by EPO (Erythropoietin) secretion by the Kidney
Platelets (thrombocytes) ✅Are buds of megakaryocytes
Carry growth factors
Lifespan: 5-9 days
WBC's (leukocytes) ✅Lymphocytes
Monocytes
Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils
Hematocrit ✅(normal ~45%): packed RBC volume; elevated with dehydration,
increased altitudes, and in a person who partakes in blood doping; Male Norms: 42-
52%; Female Norms: 37-47%
Buffy coat ✅(normal <1%): platelets, white blood cells; the thin white coat between
RBCs and the plasma
Anemia ✅hematocrit 30% or less
Polycythemia ✅hematocrit 70% or more (dehydration also causes a hematocrit of 70%
or more because the plasma volume decreased)
Erythropoietin (EPO) ✅hormone produced by kidney and is released which helps
make more RBC from bone marrow stem cells
,Hemoglobin (Hb) ✅found in RBCs and responsible for oxygen transport in the blood;
has 4 polypeptide chains and 4 heme groups, which allows it to carry 4 oxygens
Heme ✅found on the polypeptide chains of Hb; is able to carry one oxygen per heme
Agglutinate/Agglutination ✅antibodies' affinity to bind to itself; determines blood type
Universal donor ✅Type O because it lacks A & B antigens (recipient's antibodies won't
agglutinate donor's Type O RBCs
Universal recipient ✅Type AB because it doesn't make anti-A or anti-B antibodies
(won't agglutinate donor's RBCs)
LDL - low density lipoprotein: ✅transport cholesterol and lipids from liver to tissues (too
much is bad, because if you build up cholesterol and lipids in tissues, this leads to
"plaque" build-up and arteriosclerosis)
HDL - high density lipoprotein ✅transport excess cholesterol from tissues and delivers
it to liver. (HDL = Healthy, excess cholesterol from tissues is "properly" disposed of or
stored in the liver for future use.)
Understand the term hematocrit, what is it measuring. Know "normal" values
✅Percentage of blood that is comprised of red blood cells (normal= around 45%)
What can be determined by a person's hematocrit? ✅If person has anemia or
polycythemia
What does anemia refer to? ✅Not enough RBC's; hematocrit 30% or lower
problem associated with iron deficiency anemia ✅inadequate amount of iron in the
body, preventing the manufacture of Hb
problems associated with aplastic anemia ✅bone marrow doesn't make enough blood
cells to carry oxygen, fight infection etc.
Problems associated with pernicious anemia ✅Lack of vitamin B12
Problems associated with hemolytic anemia ✅(of which sickle cell anemia is a specific
type of hemolytic anemia): RBCs are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream
before their normal lifespan is over; can be inherited or acquired/developed
What does ESR stand for? ✅Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
,Can the ESR be used to diagnose diseases? (If cells clump during test then it signals
inflammation) ✅Cannot be used to diagnose diseases, but can be used to track the
progression of certain diseases like sickle cell anemia, some cancers, and inflammatory
diseases like rheumatoid arthritis
How long do mature RBC's survive? ✅120 days
How does the body replace RBC's? ✅Stem cells in bone marrow make new RBC's
What organ is responsible for RBC production? ✅Kidney
What hormone is involved in RBC production? ✅Erythropoietin
What is hemoglobin? ✅An iron-containing oxygen transport protein
Where is hemoglobin found? ✅Found in RBCs
How does hemoglobin help RBC's carry oxygen to tissues? What is essential for this
function? ✅As blood passes through the lungs, Hb binds the oxygen to its heme
group, because of the increased oxygen pressure in the capillaries in the lungs, and
released the oxygen to tissues where the oxygen pressure is lower. Intact and normally
shaped hemoglobin is essential for RBCs to carry oxygen to the tissues.
What is blood typing? ✅Blood typing determines which antigen is present on the RBCs
What are the antigens found on cells? ✅A, B, A&B, or none
Which antibodies can be found in the blood? ✅A, B, A&B, or none
How do we determine someone's blood type? ✅Use serum antibodies and RBC
antigens. Take 3 slides and put 3 drops of the antibodies on them. First slide drop anti-a
antibodies. Second slide drop anti-b antibodies. Third slide drop anti-Rh antibodies. If
the cells clump/agglutinate then lyse, they are positive for that particular blood type.
Type O will not react with the first 2 slides. Type AB will react with the first 2 slides.
Does the blood type refer to the antigens on the cell surfaces or the antibodies found in
the plasma? ✅Antigens on cell surface
If given a blood type, be able to describe what antigens are found on the cells and what
antibodies are found in the plasma. Be able to describe what happens if the wrong
blood type is given to a person - for each blood type ✅Type A: A antigens on RBCs; B
antibodies in plasma; can donate to A & AB; can receive A & O; if given B/AB, donor
blood will agglutinate, creating clogged blood vessels and stop the circulation of the
blood to various parts of the body, can be fatal.
, Type B: B antigens on RBCs; A antibodies in plasma; can donate to B & AB; can
receive B & O; if given A/AB, donor blood will agglutinate, creating clogged blood
vessels and stop the circulation of the blood to various parts of the body, can be fatal.
Type AB: A & B antigens on RBCs; no antibodies in plasma; can donate to AB; can
receive A, B, AB, & O.
Type O: no antigens on RBCs; A & B antibodies in plasma; can donate to A, B, AB, &
O; can ONLY receive O; if given A, B, or AB, donor blood will agglutinate, creating
clogged blood vessels and stop the circulation of the blood to various parts of the body,
can be fatal.
Why does cholesterol pose a special problem for transport in our circulation?
✅Cholesterol is water soluble and needs to be wrapped in protein packages
(lipoproteins) in order to travel in the bloodstream from the liver
How do our bodies transport cholesterol (along with some triglycerides and
phospholipids)? ✅Lipoproteins
What is the major organ responsible for synthesizing cholesterol for our bodies?
✅Liver
What do the terms chylomicron, HDL & LDL refer to? ✅Chylomicron: lipoprotein that
transports cholesterol and lipids from the intestines to the liver via blood.
HDL: high density lipoprotein that transports excess cholesterol from the tissues and
delivers it to the liver.
LDL: low density lipoprotein that transports cholesterol from the liver to the tissues (AKA
bad cholesterol because if too much cholesterol and lipids build up in the tissues and
arteries, it leads to plaque build-up and arteriosclerosis
Which is the "good" lipoprotein? Why? ✅HDL because the excess cholesterol from the
tissues is properly disposed of or stored in the liver for future use
Intercalated discs ✅Help hold cells together and transmit force of contraction from cell
to cell
Allows myocytes to come together
Contain gap junctions and desmosomes
Desmosomes ✅Help adhere cardiac cells together and stabilize the connections
between cells
Form tight connections so that cardiac cells don't pull apart — a structure by which two
adjacent cells are attached
Formed from protein plaques in the cell membranes linked by filaments
