Lesson 8.5 Blood and haemoglobin

Learning Activity 1

Answer the following questions in your exercise book.

1. How much blood is there in a human body and what is the mass of the blood?
2. Name three cells found in blood plasma.

Learning Activity 2

Answer the following questions in your exercise book.

1. Study Fig. 8.14 and take note of the shape of the red blood cells.
2. Study Fig. 8.15 and take note of the size of the red blood cell.
3. Study Fig. 8.13 – can you identify the red blood cells in the photomicrograph?
4. Where are red blood cells formed?
5. What is the function of a red blood cell?
6. Describe the structure of red blood cells.
7. Make a plan drawing of a red blood cell from either Fig. 8.13 or 8.14.
8. Answer Questions 8.8 and 8.9 on p.167.

Learning Activity 3

Answer the following questions in your exercise book.

1. Where are the foetal red blood cells formed at first? (Note that from 22 weeks gestation, the bone marrow starts taking over the function of forming red blood cells.)
2. There is a difference in foetal haemoglobin and adult haemoglobin. Foetal haemoglobin has a higher affinity to bind with oxygen than adult haemoglobin.
3. When a baby is born the foetal haemoglobin is changed for adult haemoglobin. The by-product of red blood cell production is a substance called bilirubin. The liver usually takes care of the excess of the bilirubin but a new-born’s liver may not be ready to remove all the bilirubin from the system. A build-up of bilirubin leads to jaundice, a condition where the baby’s skin and eyes appear tinted yellow. The condition is often treated with phototherapy – either using the sun or ultra-violet lights. The baby’s eyes need to be protected from the ultra-violet rays and they must also be kept well hydrated.

Learning Activity 4

Answer the following questions in your exercise book.

1. Where are white cells formed?
2. Compare and contrast red blood cells and white blood cells. Think about both structure and function.
3. Look at Figures 8.13 and 8.14. Can you identify the white blood cells in these figures?
4. White cells can be divided into two groups. Name these groups and give a short description of each.
5. Make a plan diagram of neutrophil and a monocyte from Figure 8.13.
6. White blood cells are not involved in cellular respiration/gas exchange like red blood cells are nor are they involved in the transport of nutrients and hormones throughout the digestive tract. Why is it important that white blood cells are in the circulatory system?

Learning Activity 5

Answer the following questions in your exercise book.

1. Summarize everything that you learned about haemoglobin in chapter two.
2. Answer Question 8.10 on p.168.
3. Haemoglobin needs to be able to pick up oxygen in the lungs and release oxygen in the body tissues. Explain, using the dissociation curve and chemical equations, how oxygen is picked up in the lungs and released in the respiring tissues as well as how carbon dioxide is picked up in respiring tissues.
4. Describe the haemoglobin dissociation curve
   
   1. In terms of the haemoglobin saturation and
   2. In terms of the shape of the curve
5. Answer Question 8.11 on p.169.
6. Describe the Bohr effect.

Learning Activity 6

Answer the following questions in your exercise book.

1. Describe the dangers of carbon monoxide.
2. Smoking is usually considered dangerous because of its effect on the lungs. However, it also has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system. Describe the dangers of cigarette smoke on the oxygen carrying capacity of the haemoglobin molecules.
3. Describe how high altitude affects the oxygen-carrying capacity of haemoglobin.
4. The body makes certain adaptations to allow it to cope at high altitudes. Describe these adaptations, giving the rationale for each.
5. Answer Questions 8.12-8.14 on p.172.

Mindmap

Add this section to your chapter eight mindmap.