,Functions of Blood
Substance distribution:
◦ Oxygen from the lungs and nutrients from the digestive tract
◦ Metabolic wastes from cells to the lungs and kidneys for elimination
◦ Hormones from endocrine glands to target
◦ Body protection
⚫ Regulation:
◦ Appropriate body temperature by absorbing and distributing heat
◦ Normal pH in body tissues using buffer systems
◦ Adequate fluid volume in the circulatory system
⚫ Protection:
◦ Blood prevents blood loss by:
◦ Activating plasma proteins and platelets
◦ Initiating clot formation when a vessel is broken
◦ Blood prevents infection by:
◦ Synthesizing and utilizing antibodies
◦ Activating complement proteins
◦ Activating WBCs to defend the body against foreign invaders
,Composition of Blood
⚫ Blood is the body’s only fluid tissue
⚫ It is composed of liquid plasma and formed
elements
⚫ Formed elements include:
◦ Erythrocytes, or red blood cells (RBCs)
◦ Leukocytes, or white blood cells (WBCs)
◦ Thrombocytes (Platelets)
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Centrifuge
Whole Blood
Separation and
Composition Whole
blood
1 Withdraw blood into a syringe and 2 Place the tube into a centrifuge and
place it into a glass centrifuge tube. spin for about 10 minutes.
3 Components of blood separate during centrifugation to reveal plasma, buffy coat, and erythrocytes.
Plasma (55% of whole blood)
Water Proteins Other solutes
92% by weight 7% by weight 1% by weight
Albumins 58% Electrolytes
Globulins 37% Nutrients
Fibrinogen 4% Respiratory gases
Regulatory proteins Waste products
<1%
Buffy coat (<1% of whole blood)
Platelets Leukocytes 4.5–
150–400 thousand 11 thousandper
per cubic mm cubic mm
55%
Lymphocytes
Neutrophils 20–40%
50–70%
<1%
E o s 1–4%
o p
s h
44%
i i
n l