Deck · USMLE Step 1
Blood, Lymphoreticular & Immune
Hematology and oncology, hemostasis, and clinical immunology — anemias, leukemias, lymphomas, coagulation disorders, hypersensitivity, and immunodeficiencies.
148 cards · audited · SM-2 spaced repetition
Included with the full USMLE Step 1 program — 14 decks, 1,546 cards.
Sample cards
From which precursor cell do all blood cell lineages arise?
The pluripotent hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), which gives rise to common myeloid and common lymphoid progenitors. HSCs are CD34+ and capable of self-renewal.
Where does hematopoiesis occur in the fetus versus the adult?
Fetal: yolk sac (3–8 wk) → liver (6 wk–birth, the dominant fetal site) and spleen → bone marrow (begins ~28 wk). Adult: red marrow of the axial skeleton and proximal long bones. Restarting hepatic/splenic hematopoiesis in adults = extramedullary hematopoiesis.
Which growth factor drives erythropoiesis and where is it produced?
Erythropoietin (EPO), produced by peritubular interstitial (fibroblast-like) cells of the renal cortex in response to hypoxia (via HIF-1α). It stimulates erythroid colony-forming units in the marrow.
What is the normal lifespan of an erythrocyte and how is it removed?
~120 days. Senescent RBCs are removed by macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system, chiefly in the spleen (extravascular hemolysis). Platelets live ~8–10 days; neutrophils only hours to a few days in circulation.
Why are mature RBCs entirely dependent on glycolysis for ATP?
They lack mitochondria, so they cannot perform oxidative phosphorylation. ATP comes from anaerobic glycolysis; the HMP shunt supplies NADPH (glutathione defense), and the Rapoport–Luebering shunt makes 2,3-BPG.
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