Pernicious Anemia

- failure to absorb vitamin B12 from the GIT - Atrophic gastric mucosa that fails to produce normal gastric secretions. - The parietal cells of the gastric glands secrete a glycoprotein called intrinsic factor, which combines with vitamin B12 in food and makes the B12 available for absorption by the gut -Therefore, 3 to 4 years of defective B12 absorption are usually required to cause maturation failure anemia

Hemoglobin

• Oxygen-bearing molecule in RBC
• Made up of iron-rich pigment- heme and protein- globin
• Each hemoglobin has 4 subunits of globin
• Each globin can carry one Oxygen molecule

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Sickle cell anemia

- The amino acid valine is substituted for glutamic acid at 6th position in each of the two beta chains. - When this type of hemoglobin is exposed to low oxygen, it forms elongated crystals inside the red blood cells. - These make it almost impossible for the cells to pass through many small capillaries, and the spiked ends of the crystals are likely to rupture the cell membranes  Hemoglobin

• Normal 12 – 15 g/dL for males
• Normal 10.5-14.0 g/dL for females

White Blood Cell

Production

• Leukopoiesis (differentiation of WBC)
• Immature WBC:

– Myeloblasts – Monoblasts – Lymphoblasts White Blood Cells

• Granulocytes
• Monocytes
• Lymphocytes

Granulocytes

• Basophils- primary function in allergic reaction… contain histamine….
• Eosinophils-Fight parasitic infection… can counteract allergic reactions
• Neutrophils- count can rise rapidly… fight infection

Monocytes

• May circulate as monocytes or mature into “Macrophages”
• Garbage collectors

 Lymphocytes

• Primary cells involved in immune response
• T- Cells (thymus)
• B- Cells (bone marrow)

Autoimmune Disease

• Condition in which the body makes antibodies against own tissues

Inflammatory Response

• Nonspecific defense mechanism that wards off damage from microorganisms or trauma

White Blood Cells

• Leukocytes
• Many (marginalized) loiter on walls of blood vessels.
• Demargination- recirculation of WBC in response to stress, corticosteroids, seizures, epinephrine, and exercise

Phagocytosis

• When white blood cells engulf and destroy an invader

Platelets

• Throbocytes
• 150,000 – 450,000 per microliter of blood
• Live 7 – 10 days
• Removed by the spleen
• Thrombocytosis – too many