Circulatory system- blood

• What is blood classified as?

  A tissue
• What is one of the main jobs of blood?

  To act as a huge transport system
• How many main things are there in blood?

  Four
• What are the four main components of blood?

  • Red blood cells
  • White blood cells
  • Platelets
  • Plasma
• What do red blood cells carry?

  Oxygen
• What is the job of red blood cells?

  To carry oxygen from lungs to body cells
• What shape do red blood cells have?

  A biconcave disc shape
• Why do red blood cells have a biconcave shape?

  To provide a large surface area for oxygen absorption
• Why do red blood cells lack a nucleus?

  To allow more room for carrying oxygen
• What pigment do red blood cells contain?

  Hemoglobin
• What does hemoglobin contain?

  Iron
• What happens in the lungs regarding hemoglobin?

  It binds to oxygen to become oxyhemoglobin
• What happens to oxyhemoglobin in body tissues?

  It splits into hemoglobin and releases oxygen
• What do white blood cells do?

  Defend against infection
• What are phagocytes?

  White blood cells that engulf pathogens
• What are lymphocytes?

  White blood cells that produce antibodies
• What do some white blood cells produce?

  Antibodies against pathogens
• What do platelets help with?

  Blood clotting
• What are platelets?

  Small fragments of cells
• How do platelets function in clotting?

  They aggregate to form a plug at injury sites
• What is plasma?

  The liquid component of blood
• What does plasma transport?

  Nutrients, hormones, and waste products
• What is the role of plasma proteins?

  To maintain osmotic pressure and transport substances
• What happens to white blood cell count during infection?

  It increases to fight the infection
• What do high white blood cell counts indicate?

  Possible infection or inflammation
• What are platelets made from?

  Fragments of larger cells called megakaryocytes
• What is the function of platelets in the blood?

  To help in the clotting process
• What are the main functions of blood?

  • Transport oxygen and nutrients
  • Remove waste products
  • Defend against infection
  • Regulate body temperature
• What is the role of hemoglobin in red blood cells?

  To bind and transport oxygen
• What happens to hemoglobin when it binds to oxygen?

  It forms oxyhemoglobin
• What is the significance of the biconcave shape of red blood cells?

  It increases surface area for oxygen absorption
• How do the functions of red blood cells differ from white blood cells?

  Red blood cells transport oxygen; white blood cells fight infection
• What is the relationship between white blood cells and infections?

  White blood cells increase in number during infections
• What is the role of plasma in the blood?

  To transport nutrients, hormones, and waste products
• How do platelets contribute to hemostasis?

  By forming a plug at injury sites
• What is the primary function of lymphocytes?

  To produce antibodies
• What is the significance of the absence of a nucleus in red blood cells?

  It allows more room for hemoglobin
• What is the role of antibodies produced by lymphocytes?

  To neutralize pathogens
• How do phagocytes respond to pathogens?

  By engulfing and digesting them
• What happens to red blood cells as they age?

  They are removed by the spleen and liver