Blood Components PDF

Plasma Approximately 92% of plasma is water. Plasma also contains - Proteins - Sugars - Wastes - Salts - Hormones - Lipids - Vitamins There are many types of proteins in plasma. Some of those are - **Albumin** - maintains water balance - **Globulins** - one type of globu...

Plasma Approximately 92% of plasma is water. Plasma also contains - Proteins - Sugars - Wastes - Salts - Hormones - Lipids - Vitamins There are many types of proteins in plasma. Some of those are - **Albumin** - maintains water balance - **Globulins** - one type of globulins is antibodies - **Fibrinogen** - **Prothrombin** - clotting proteins - Erythrocytes - Also called **red blood cells**, erythrocytes make up the majority of the cells in blood. They carry oxygen to the body tissues and contain hemoglobin. Their unique shape and lack of nuclei allow for maximum delivery efficiency. Heme groups hold on to oxygen loosely, so when there is an abundance of oxygen, it remains bound to the heme. When there is a deficiency of oxygen, erythrocytes unbind from the heme. Heme groups contain iron, and when bound to oxygen, the molecule appears red. - The lifespan of erythrocytes is approximately 120 days. Worn-out erythrocytes are broken down in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow in a process called hemolysis. Hemoglobin is then broken down, iron and protein are recycled, and bilirubin (the pigment) is filtered by the liver and excreted from the body in bile. - Leukocytes - Also called **white blood cells**, leukocytes protect the body against infection and disease. Remember that **leuk/o** means white, and **-cyte**means cell. They can be found in the blood as well as throughout the body (especially the lymphatic system). - Thrombocytes - **Thrombocytes (thromb/o = clot)** are platelets. They help blood to clot, or coagulate, and work to prevent blood loss, or hemostasis. - Hematopoiesis is the production/formation of the blood. All cells originate at the hematopoietic stem cell. During this process, immature (-blast) cells develop into mature blood cells. - Stem cells are unspecialized cells that give rise to mature, specialized ones. Proteins in the bone marrow and blood influence the stem cells to change size and shape and to become specialized. - Take a look at the image below to review the process. +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | - **Combining Form** | **Meaning** | +===================================+===================================+ | Hemo; hemat/o | Blood | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Coagul/o | Clotting | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Cyt/o; -cyte | Cell | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Erythr/o | Red | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Leuk/o | White | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Thromb/o | Clot | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Myel/o | Bone marrow | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Phag/o; -phage | Eat; swallow | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Prefix** | **Meaning** | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | A-; an- | No, not; without | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Macro- | Large | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **Suffix** **Meaning** ---------------- ----------------------------------- -emia Blood condition -poiesis Formation -globin Protein -lytic; -lysis Destruction; loosening; breakdown -gen Substance that produces