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Blood is composed of formed elements (cells and cell fragments) which are suspended in the liquid fraction known as plasma. Protection: e.g., against foreign molecules and diseases, as well as for clotting to prevent excessive loss of blood. Dissolved within the plasma are many proteins, nutrients, metabolic waste products, and various other ...
The pH of blood averages about 7.4; however, it can range from 7.35 to 7.45 in a healthy person. Blood is therefore somewhat more basic (alkaline) on a chemical scale than pure water, which has a pH of 7.0. Blood contains numerous buffers that actually help to regulate pH.
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The physical characteristics of the blood are color, volume, viscosity, plasma concentration, blood pH, and temperature. Color: The color of the blood will depend on whether the blood is rich or poor in oxygen. Oxygen-poor blood is dark red and not blue, as one may think. In comparison, oxygen-rich blood is bright red.
In normal blood, about 45 percent of a sample is erythrocytes. The hematocrit of any one sample can vary significantly, however, about 36–50 percent, according to gender and other factors. Normal hematocrit values for females range from 37 to 47, with a mean value of 41; for males, hematocrit ranges from 42 to 52, with a mean of 47.
- Function of Blood
- Transportation
- Defence
- Maintenance of Homeostasis
- Composition of Blood
- Characteristics of Blood
- Blood Plasma
- Plasma Proteins
- Other Plasma Solutes
The primary function of blood is to deliver oxygen and nutrients to, and remove wastes from, body tissues and cells, but that is only the beginning of the story. The specific functions of blood also include defence, distribution of heat, and maintenance of homeostasis.
Nutrients from the foods we eat are absorbed in the digestive tract. Most of these travel in the bloodstream directly to the liver, where they are processed and released back into the bloodstream for delivery to body cells. Oxygen from the air we breathe diffuses into the blood, which moves from the lungs to the heart, which then pumps it out to th...
Many types of WBCs protect the body from external threats, such as disease-causing bacteria that have entered the tissues. Other WBCs seek out and destroy internal threats, such as cells with mutated DNA that could multiply to become cancerous, or body cells infected with viruses. When damage to the blood vessels results in bleeding, blood platelet...
Recall that body temperature is regulated via a classic negative-feedback loop. If you were exercising on a warm day, your rising core body temperature would trigger several homeostatic mechanisms, including increased transport of blood from your core to your body periphery, which is typically cooler. As blood passes through the vessels of the skin...
You may have had blood drawn from a superficial vein in your arm, which was then sent to a lab for analysis. Some of the most common blood tests—for instance, those measuring lipid or glucose levels in plasma—determine which substances are present within blood and in what concentrations. Other blood tests check for the composition of the blood itse...
When you think about blood, the first characteristic that probably comes to mind is its colour. Blood that has just taken up oxygen in the lungs is bright red, and blood that has released oxygen in the tissues is a darker red colour. This is because the major component of red blood cells, a protein called haemoglobin that binds oxygen, is a pigment...
Like other fluids in the body, plasma is composed primarily of water. In fact, it is about 92 percent water. Dissolved or suspended within this water is a mixture of substances, most of which are proteins. Although there are hundreds of substances dissolved or suspended in the plasma, many of them are present only in very small quantities.
About seven percent of the volume of plasma—nearly all that is not water—is made up of proteins. These include several plasma proteins (proteins that are unique to the plasma), plus a much smaller number of regulatory proteins, including enzymes and some hormones. The major components of plasma are summarised in Figure 5.1.2. The three major groups...
In addition to proteins, plasma contains a wide variety of other substances. These include various electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and calcium ions; dissolved gases, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen; various organic nutrients, such as vitamins, lipids, glucose, and amino acids; and metabolic wastes. All these nonprotein solutes...
Apr 11, 2016 · The properties of blood and the relative ease of access to which it can be retrieved make it an ideal source to gauge different aspects of homeostasis within an individual, form an accurate diagnosis, and formulate an appropriate treatment regime. Tests used to determine blood parameters such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, bleeding and clotting ...
In normal blood, about 45 percent of a sample is erythrocytes. The hematocrit of any one sample can vary significantly, however, about 36–50 percent, according to gender and other factors. Normal hematocrit values for females range from 37 to 47, with a mean value of 41; for males, hematocrit ranges from 42 to 52, with a mean of 47.
