Hematology

KAVITHA BERNHARDT

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 INTRODUCTION

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 What is hematology and what is the
normal volume of blood?

Study of components and functions of blood is known

as hematology.

Blood is a homogenous fluid connective tissue which is

in constant circulation throughout the body.

In a normal adult, the volume of blood is about 70 ml/kg

body weight and in an infant it is about 90 ml/kg body
weight. On an average in a normal adult weighing
about 70 kg, the volume of blood present is about 5
liters.
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 Objectives
7.Composition and functions of
blood
•7.1.Describe the composition of
blood
•7.2.List the functions of blood
•7.3.Define hematocrit/PCV

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 What is the composition of
blood?
Blood is a homogenous fluid connective tissue.
The two important constituents of blood are:

a. Plasma

b. Formed elements

Plasma is the fluid part in which the formed elements are

suspended. This helps for easy circulation of blood
through the blood vessels.

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 Composition of blood continued

a.For any reason, if the proportion between the

plasma and the formed elements is altered, it can
lead to alterations in the rate of blood flow
through the blood vessels.

b. If the rate of blood flow slows down, the

organs/tissues suffer from lack of oxygen and
nutrition and accumulation of metabolites
which is detrimental to the functioning of cell.

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 What are formed elements?
The formed elements of blood have definite shape and size.

The formed elements are the cellular components of blood.

The cells present in blood are:

a. Red blood cells or erythrocytes

b. White blood cells or leukocytes

c. Platelets or thrombocytes

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 What are the functions of blood?
Blood has a number of functions. Some of the
important functions of blood have been
enumerated here.

The important functions of blood are:

1. Respiratory
2. Excretory
3. Nutritive
4. Transport
5. Protective
6. Regulation of body temperature
7. Buffering
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 Respiratory function of blood

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Oxygen that has diffused into blood at the level
of lungs is supplied to all the parts of body by
blood.

Blood also helps as a medium for transport of

carbon dioxide from the tissues to lungs for
eliminating from the body.

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 Nutritive function
The end products of digested food enters
blood from gastro intestinal tract.

Substances like glucose, amino acids, etc are

supplied to various organs in our body by
blood

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Transport of hormones, vitamins, drugs
and chemicals

•Blood is the vehicle through which

various substances such as hormones and
drugs are transported from one part of
the body to another

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 Excretory function
When tissues are active, there will be
production of many of the organic waste
products like urea, uric acid, creatinine
etc. These waste products have to be
excreted from the body.

Blood transports these waste products to

the kidneys which is the most important
excretory organ through which the waste
products are excreted.
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 Regulation of body temperature

In our body due to metabolic activities, there is

continuous production of heat. At the same time,
there will be continuous loss of heat from the body
to the surrounding by various physical and
physiological mechanisms.
Blood distributes the heat to all parts of the body

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 Protective function
Our body is constantly exposed to many micro
organisms that are in the environment. When
these micro organisms enter the bodycan result
in infection.

The white blood cells and immunoglobulins

present in blood help the body to fight against
these micro organisms. Hence body is provided
the resistance against these micro organisms.

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Protective function continued….(clotting)

When blood vessels are injured, there is

tendency to bleed. This results in loss of
blood from the body.
Platelets and many of the coagulation
factors present in blood bring about an
early cessation of bleeding by hemostasis
and coagulation. These mechanisms
minimize the loss of blood from the
body.

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 Buffering function of blood

The pH of blood has to be maintained

around a critical value of 7.4 ± 0.04 for
smooth functioning of the various enzymes
within cells.
Blood has various buffers that maintain the
acid-base balance

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 Proportion between plasma and
formed elements
a.Blood has a definite proportion between the
plasma and formed elements.

b. In 100 ml of blood, the plasma part is

around 55 %
and the remaining part (45%)is contributed by
formed elements.

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 What is hematocrit or packed cell volume
(PCV)?

The total % of formed elements in blood is around

45.
The contributions from leukocytes and platelets
for this percentage is almost negligible.

Hence the erythrocytes contribute about 40 – 45 %

of this, which is known as PCV or hematocrit value.

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 How is hematocrit
determined?

Is done by Wintrobe’s method.

About 5 ml of venous blood is mixed with double
oxalate anticoagulant. Double oxalate is a mixture
of ammonium and potassium oxalate in powder
form.
Blood which has been treated with anticoagulant
filled into the Wintrobe’s tube up to mark 10 with
the help of a Pasteur pipette.

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Determination of hematocrit continued

• This tube has to be centrifuged at a revolution

of 3000/min for 30 minutes. At the end of
centrifugation, three different layers can be
made out in the tube.

• The top straw yellow layer is plasma, middle

buffy coat is made up leukocytes and platelets.
The bottom most red layer is composed of
erythrocytes which are compactly packed.

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 What is the normal value of PCV?

It is proportional to erythrocyte count. On an

average in a normal adult, it is about 45%.
Males: 42% to 48%
Females: 38% to 42%
In infants it is more than 45% because they have
more number of erythrocytes.
In clinical practice determination of PCV forms
one of the important diagnostic tests.

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 What is the relationship between body
water content and PCV?
When body water content is decreased for any reason
like: Diarrhea, Vomiting, Burns etc. It leads to a
relative increase in PCV. This is known as
hemoconcentration.
In polycythemia of any cause, there will be an
absolute increase in erythrocyte count and this
also increases PCV.

In hemodilution, PCV decreases. Decrease in PCV

occurs in almost all types of: anemias, blood loss,
during pregnancy, and after administration of
intra venous fluids.
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