Plasma and Red Blood cells

Plasma

blood is a specialised tissue consisting of several types of cell suspended in a fluid called plasma.
the cellular constituents consist of Red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
plasma is a clear liquid which is made up of mainly water, sugar, fat, protein and salt solution it carries the red blood cells white blood cells and platelets around the body. 55% of our bloods volume is made up of plasma about 95% of it consists of water. plasma allows blood to navigate fast moving substances in solution and slow thicker substances in suspension. as the heart pumps blood to cells throughout the body plasma brings the nourishment to them and removes any waste products.
proteins make up 6-8% of the blood they are equally divided between serum globulins and serum albumin, serum albumin is made in the liver and it binds small molecules for transport through the blood and helps maintain the osmotic pressure of the blood.
other proteins are the serum globulins, alpha globulins the proteins which transport thyroxin and retinol, beta gobulins is the iron transporting protein to be transfered.
gamma gobulins are the main antibodies which become more abundent following infections and immunisations.


red blood cells

Red blood cells are made in the red bone marrow such as the vertebrae, cranial bone ends of the femur and humerus bone and live for around 120 days they are biconcave in shape and are very flexible with an ability to twist and bend through blood vessels they are only 1/12.000 of an inch in size. The blood contains 25 trillion red blood cells and has to replace them at around 3 million per second.
The reason they are known as red blood cells is because of a substance called haemoglobin, haemoglobin consists of protein and iron pigments and when combined with oxygen their colour becomes bright scarlet. Red blood cells assist with the transportation of oxygen, each molecule binds four oxygen molecules where ox haemoglobin forms. (Hb + 402= Hb08) the oxygen molecules are then carried to individual cells and released in the body tissue. Carbon dioxide then diffuses from the tissue into the red blood cells it then combines with water to form carbonic acid this is a slow reaction but if enzyme carbonic anhydrase is present it is a quicker process.


references
cgp blood powerpoint handout
www.texasheartinstitute.org/HIC/anatomy/blood.cfm