BLOOD

 BLOOD

About Blood:

What is blood?

Blood is essential to life. Blood circulates through our body and delivers essential substances like oxygen and nutrients to the body’s cells. It also transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. There is no substitute for blood. It cannot be made or manufactured. Generous blood donors are the only source of blood for patients in need of a blood transfusion.

What is the blood volume of an average person?

SCIENCE — Health and Fitness ... Scientists estimate the volume of blood in a human body to be approximately 7 percent of body weight. ... a weight of 150 to 180 pounds will contain approximately 4.7 to 5.5 liters (1.2 to 1.5 gallons) of blood.

How to describe the components of blood?

It has four main components: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Blood has many different functions, including transporting oxygen and nutrients to the lungs and tissues. Forming blood clots to prevent excess blood loss

Composition of blood: Separation by centrifugation.

Blood is a fluid connective tissue composed of 55% plasma and 45% formed elements including WBCs, RBCs, and platelets. Since these living cells are suspended in plasma, blood is known as a fluid connective tissue and not just fluid.

45% Formed elements of blood 

The cellular elements—referred to as the formed elements (Living blood cells)—include Erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBCs), Leukocytes (white blood cells, WBCs), Thrombocytes (platelets), and this makes up 45% of our blood composition.

Buffy coat: - The buffy coat contains the white blood cells and platelets and is less than 1% of total blood volume. Generally, venous blood is obtained for this purpose, which has a dark red color.

Formed elements of blood divided three parts:

1. Erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBCs)

2. Leukocytes (white blood cells, WBCs)

3. Thrombocytes (platelets)  

1.  Erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBCs): - Red blood cell a type of blood cell that is made in the bone marrow and found in the blood. Red blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.

 According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: 

The normal RBC range for men is 4.7 to 6.1 million cells per microliter (mcL). 

The normal RBC range for women who aren't pregnant is 4.2 to 5.4 million mcL.

The normal RBC range for children is 4.0 to 5.5 million mcL.

2. Leukocytes (white blood cells, WBCs): - WBCs, also called leukocytes, are an important part of the immune system. These cells help fight infections by attacking bacteria, viruses, and germs that invade the body. White blood cells originate in the bone marrow but circulate throughout the bloodstream.

WBCs Normal range is usually between 4,000 - 11,000 per microliter of blood.
Leukocytes (white blood cells, WBCs): - The two main types of leukocytes are:
a. Granulocytes
b. Mononuclear leukocytes (agranulocytes)

a. Granulocytes: - Granulocytes are a category of white blood cells in the innate immune system characterized by the presence of granules in their cytoplasm.

There are three different forms of granulocytes: 
A. Neutrophils
B.  Eosinophils
C. Basophils

A. Neutrophils: - Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that helps heal damaged tissues and resolve infections. Neutrophil blood levels increase naturally in response to infections, injuries, and other types of stress. They may decrease in response to severe or chronic infections, drug treatments, and genetic conditions.

Neutrophils normal range: 40 to 60%

B.  Eosinophils: - Eosinophils are a kind of white blood cell that helps fight disease. The exact role of eosinophils in your body isn't clear, but they're usually linked with allergic diseases and certain infections. They're made in your bone marrow and then travel to different tissues.

Eosinophils function: -  Eosinophils are crucial for combatting parasitic infections and inflammatory processes, such as allergic reactions. Other functions include killing cells, anti-bacterial activity, and controlling inflammatory responses

Eosinophils normal range: 0 to 6%

 An absolute eosinophil count is a blood test that measures the number of one type of white blood cells called eosinophils. Eosinophils become active when you have certain allergic diseases, infections, and other medical conditions.

The absolute count is the percentage of eosinophils multiplied by your white blood cell count. The count may range a bit between different laboratories, but a normal range is usually between 30 and 350. A count of more than 500 cells per microliter of blood is considered eosinophilia.

Absolute eosinophil  Normal range: 30 to 350 /µL

C. Basophils: - Basophils are a type of white blood cell. Although they're produced in the bone marrow, they're found in many tissues throughout your body. They're part of your immune system and play a role in its proper function. If your basophil level is low, it may be due to a severe allergic reaction.

Basophils Function: Basophils appear in many specific kinds of inflammatory reactions, particularly those that cause allergic symptoms. Basophils contain anticoagulant heparin, which prevents blood from clotting too quickly. They also contain the vasodilator histamine, which promotes blood flow to tissues.

Basophils normal range: 0 to 3% 

b. Mononuclear leukocytes (agranulocytes): Agranulocytes or nongranulocytes, also mononuclear leukocytes, are one of the two types of white blood cells, also known as leukocytes. The other type of white blood cells is known as granulocytes. Agranular cells are noted by the absence of granules in their cytoplasm, which distinguishes them from granulocytes.

Agranulocytes function: Some of the main functions of agranulocytes include: Protect the body against invading microbes (bacteria and viruses) Destroying cancerous cells.

The two types of agranulocytes in the blood circulation are lymphocytes and monocytes, and these make up about 35% of the hematologic blood values. A third type of agranulocyte, the macrophage, is formed in the tissue when monocytes leave the circulation and differentiate into macrophages.

Two types of agranulocytes: 

1. Lymphocytes 

2. Monocytes

1. Lymphocytes: Lymphocytes are white blood cells that are also one of the body's main types of immune cells. They are made in the bone marrow and found in the blood and lymph tissue. The immune system is a complex network of cells known as immune cells that include lymphocytes.

Lymphocytes normal range: 20 to 40% 

Lymphocytes: There are three main types known as T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells: 

Lymphocytes include natural killer cells (which function in cell-mediated, cytotoxic innate immunity), T cells (for cell-mediated, cytotoxic adaptive immunity), and B cells (for humoral, antibody-driven adaptive immunity). They are the main type of cell found in lymph, which prompted the name "lymphocyte".

 

2. Monocytes: - Monocytes are a type of leukocyte or white blood cell. They are the largest type of leukocyte and can differentiate into macrophages and myeloid lineage dendritic cells. As a part of the vertebrate innate immune system monocytes also influence the process of adaptive immunity

Monocytes Function:  Monocytes are a type of white blood cell that fights off bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Monocytes are the biggest type of white blood cell in the immune system. Originally formed in the bone marrow, they are released into our blood and tissues. When certain germs enter the body, they quickly rush to the site for attack.

Monocytes normal range: 2 to 8% 

3. Thrombocytes (platelets)  

Platelets, also called thrombocytes (from Greek θρόμβος, "clot" and κύτος, "cell"), are a component of blood whose function (along with the coagulation factors) is to react to bleeding from blood vessel injury by clumping, thereby initiating a blood clot.

A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. Having more than 450,000 platelets is a condition called thrombocytosis; having less than 150,000 is known as thrombocytopenia. You get your platelet number from a routine blood test called a complete blood count (CBC).

Thrombocytes clotting factors:

Thrombocytes (platelets) play an important role in hemostasis, by plugging and repairing damaged blood vessels, thus preventing blood loss. They also participate in a cascade of events that leads to blood clotting by triggering the release of a series of coagulation factors.

The following are coagulation factors and their common names:

Factor I - fibrinogen

Factor II - prothrombin

Factor III - tissue thromboplastin (tissue factor)

Factor IV - ionized calcium ( Ca++ )

Factor V - labile factor or proaccelerin

Factor VI - unassigned

Factor VII - stable factor or proconvertin

Factor VIII - antihemophilic factor

Factor IX - plasma thromboplastin component, Christmas factor

Factor X - Stuart-Prower factor

Factor XI - plasma thromboplastin antecedent

Factor XII - Hageman factor

Factor XIII - fibrin-stabilizing factor

 

55% PLASMA  

Blood plasma is a 'yellowish liquid' component of blood that holds the blood cells in whole blood in suspension. It is the liquid part of the blood that carries cells and proteins throughout the body. It makes up about 55% of the body's total blood volume.

Water and soluble substance in human blood:

The blood plasma is a light yellow liquid. Over 92% of blood plasma is water, while less than 8% is dissolved substances, mostly proteins. Blood plasma also contains electrolytes, vitamins, and nutrients such as glucose and amino acids. 

What is Solutes in blood?

The remainder is mostly plasma proteins—mainly albumin, globulins, and fibrinogen—and other dissolved solutes such as glucose, lipids, electrolytes, and dissolved gases. Because of the formed elements and the plasma proteins and other solutes, blood is sticky and more viscous than water.

What is Plasma?

Plasma is the often forgotten part of blood. White blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are important to body function. But plasma also plays a key role. This fluid carries the blood components throughout the body.

Blood plasma function: The main role of plasma is to take nutrients, hormones, and proteins to the parts of the body that need it. Cells also put their waste products into the plasma. The plasma then helps remove this waste from the body. Blood plasma also carries all parts of the blood through your circulatory system

What are the proteins in blood?

Serum albumin accounts for 55% of blood proteins, is a major contributor to maintaining the oncotic pressure of plasma and assists, as a carrier, in the transport of lipids and steroid hormones. Globulins make up 38% of blood proteins and transport ions, hormones, and lipids assisting in immune function.

What is the difference between plasma and serum?

Serum and plasma both come from the liquid portion of the blood that remains once the cells are removed, but that's where the similarities end. Serum is the liquid that remains after the blood has clotted. Plasma is the liquid that remains when clotting is prevented with the addition of an anticoagulant

What is serum in blood?

Blood Serum is the fluid and solute component of blood which does not play a role in clotting. ... Serum includes all proteins not used in blood clotting; all electrolytes, antibodies, antigens, hormones; and any exogenous substances (e.g., drugs or microorganisms).

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