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Blood Components

Blood is composed of plasma and cells. Plasma is a straw-colored fluid that contains proteins, vitamins, minerals, oxygen, carbon dioxide, waste products, hormones and heat. Red blood cells transport oxygen throughout the body via hemoglobin. White blood cells help fight infection - neutrophils and monocytes are phagocytes that eat foreign material, while lymphocytes produce antibodies. Platelets play an important role in clotting by releasing chemicals that combine with other components to form a fibrin mesh and trap blood, forming a clot.

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862 views

Blood Components

Blood is composed of plasma and cells. Plasma is a straw-colored fluid that contains proteins, vitamins, minerals, oxygen, carbon dioxide, waste products, hormones and heat. Red blood cells transport oxygen throughout the body via hemoglobin. White blood cells help fight infection - neutrophils and monocytes are phagocytes that eat foreign material, while lymphocytes produce antibodies. Platelets play an important role in clotting by releasing chemicals that combine with other components to form a fibrin mesh and trap blood, forming a clot.

Uploaded by

JohnSmith
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Blood Components

Introduction
 Average individual contains 5L of blood
 55% of blood is fluid
 45% of the blood is cells
 Blood is connective tissue – all cells work
together for a common purpose
 Percentage of blood cells is measured by a
hematocrit
Hematocrit
Plasma
 Straw-colored fluid portion of blood
 Contains :
– Proteins - glucose
– Vitamins - minerals
– O2, CO2 - Blood cells
- waste products (such as urea)
- Hormones
- Heat
Erythrocytes (RBCs)
 Transport oxygen
 Contains hemoglobin (HGB)
 Biconcave structure (increases SA)
 No nucleus (don’t divide)
 Males 5.5 billion per ml of blood (females
4.5 billion, 8 billion in high altitudes)
Erythrocytes
Hemoglobin
 Made of iron and proteins
 280 million molecules per RBC
 Iron portion binds to oxygen 
oxyhemoglobin (makes blood red)
 Cells deprived of O2 for > 5min start to die
RBC life
 Produced in bone marrow and spleen
 Live about 120 days
 Are removed when old by WBCs in the
spleen
 Hemoglobin broken down into:
– Iron - recycled
– Bilirubin – bile
– Globin – protein – recycled or reused
Leukocytes (WBCs)
(just need to know phagocytes vs. lymphocytes)

 RBCs outnumber WBCs by 700 to 1


 Two categories – granulocytes and
agranulocytes
 Produced in bone marrow
 Play a major role in immune response
 Several types
– Note: do not have to know each
individual type, just phagocytes vs.
lyphocytes
Neutrophils
 Primary responders to
infection
 Phagocytic (eat
foreign material such
as bacteria)
 Lobulated/segmented
nucleus
 Most numerous WBC
Lymphocytes
 Produce antibodies
 Second most
numerous WBC
 Very large, round
nucleus
Monocytes
 Develop into
macrophages (“big
eaters”)
– phagocytic

 Large granular,
lobulated nucleus
-
Eosinophils
 Key role in allergy and
anti-viral response
 One of least
numerous WBCs
 Red granules in
cytoplasm
Basophil
 Least numerous WBC
 Dark granules in
cytoplasm
 Release histamines
and heparin
(anticoagulant)
Platelets
 Cell fragments
 Key role in clotting process
Clotting Process
 Substances released by an injured vessel
attract platelets
 Platelets rupture and release chemicals 
combine with other blood components to
produce thromboplastin (an enzyme)
 Thromboplastin + prothrombin (protein)
 thrombin (as long as Ca2+ is present)
Clotting process contd
 Thrombin (enzyme) + fibrinogen (protein)
 fibrin
 Fibrin forms mesh strands
 Mesh traps blood and forms clot

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