Blood is a connective tissue composed of plasma and formed elements. Plasma is 55% of blood volume and contains water, proteins, nutrients, wastes, and gases. The major proteins are albumin, globulins, and fibrinogen. Albumin maintains osmotic pressure while globulins are involved in immunity and transport. Fibrinogen is critical for clotting. Together, plasma proteins transport substances, regulate pH and fluids, and defend the body. Blood also contains erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets that are vital for oxygen transport, immunity, and clotting, respectively.

1. BLOOD
DR RAGHUVEER CHOUDHARY
Composition and function of

2. . Introduction
A. The internal environment is regulated by the
fluids which bathe the cells:
1. Interstitial fluid (IF) is found outside cells
and in between the cells
2. Lymph inside lymph vessels
3. Blood within blood vessels
B. Hematology is the science which studies blood
and blood disorders

3. THE BLOOD
Blood is defined as liquid connective tissue
that fills the heart and blood vessels.
The normal blood volume in an average adult
is 5–6 liters, which accounts for about 8% of
the body weight.

4. Blood
 Fluid connective tissue
 Functions include
 Transporting dissolved gases, nutrients, hormones,
and metabolic wastes
 Regulating pH and ion composition of interstitial
fluids
 Restricting fluid loss at injury sites
 Defending the body against toxins and pathogens
 Regulating body temperature by absorbing and
redistributing heat

6. Figure 19.1a
The Composition of Whole
Blood

7. Composition of Blood
 Total BloodVolume : 5-6 liters (8% of
body weight or 80ml/kg body weight)
 Specific Gravity : 1050-1060
 Viscosity : 4-5 times that of water
 Ph : 7.4 (.05); it is alkaline in nature
 In acidosis Ph of blood falls below 7.38
and in alkalosis Ph is more than 7.42

9. Figure 10.1

12. Composition of Blood
 Blood contains plasma & formed
elements(cells)
 Cells represent 45% of blood volume
 Hematocrit represents the percentage of red
blood cells in blood (called Packed Cell
Volume (PCV)
 1. A lower than normal hematocrit is representative
of a condition known as anemia
 2. An abnormally high hematocrit is representative
of polycythemia
 Hematocrit “ for males: 40%-54% (47%);
Females: 38%-46% (42%)

14. Blood Components:
Figure 16-1: Composition of blood

15. Blood Components: Cells
 Erythrocytes
 Red Blood Cells (RBC)
 O2 & CO2 transport
 White Blood Cells (WBC)
 Immune defense
 Phagocytosis
 Platelets: clotting

16. Blood Cells

17. Plasma is a clear ,straw colored fluid
portion of blood & represents 55% of
the total blood volume.
It contains 91% water and 9% solids
( 1% inorganic molecules ,8% organic
molecules)

18.  The major inorganic
molecules are Na+
,Ca++, Hco3
-, K+ , Mg++,
Cu++, Po4
-3
 Of 8% organic molecules
 7% are Plasma
Proteins
 (6.4-8.3 gm%)
 1% are Non Protein
Nitrogenous
substances(urea,Uric
acid,Creatinine,Xanth
in)

21. . plasma composition
1. 91% water
2. 9% solutes
a. Proteins -albumins; globulins (alpha, beta,
gamma); fibrinogen
b. Nutrients
c. Enzymes
d. Hormones
e. Respiratory gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide)
f. Electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium)
g.Waste products (urea, uric acid, creatinine,
H+, etc)

22. Figure 10.1

23. Plasma
 Water
 Plasma proteins
 Albumin (60%)
 Osmotic Gradient
 Globulins (Ab)
 Fibrinogen
 Other solutes
 Electrolytes
 Nutrients
 Trace Elements
 Dissolved gases
Serum = Plasma – Clotting factors

24. Serum = Plasma – Clotting factors

25. Fresh Frozen Plasma:
In some conditions, plasma needs to be stored
for years for future analysis, for which plasma is
stored frozen below –20ᴏC. This is called fresh
frozen plasma (FFP), which can be stored upto
7 years in a blood bank.
 To preserve clotting factors plasma should be
frozen within 6 hours after collection.
 FFP is used for plasmapheresis (therapeutic
plasma exchange).

27. • Plasma Proteins
• Albumin
• Globulin- α₁, α₂, β₁, β₂, γ
• Fibrinogen
Origin:
Liver- Albumin & Fibrinogen
Plasma cells, lymphocytes, tissue
macrophages- Globulin

29. Plasma proteins
 concentration 63 –83 g  l (6.3-8.3gm%)
 simple or conjugated (glycoproteins, lipoproteins)
 separation:
 a) salting-out methods  albumin, globulins, fibrinogen
 b) electrophoresis  albumin, globulin 1, 2, ,  fractions:
-
+


2
1
albumin

30. Albumins
 more than 90% are synthesized in the liver
 55% of plasma proteins
3-5 gm% (average 4.8gm%)
Functions:
maintenance of the osmotic pressure of plasma and
viscosity
transport of:
steroid hormones
free fatty acids
bilirubin
drugs (sulfonamides, aspirin)
Ca2+
Cu2+

32. PlasmaProteins-GLOBULINS
 Globulin is 38%of plasma Proteins
 2-3 gm%(average 2.3gm%)
 13% α globulin: 0.79-0.84 gm%
 14% β globulin : 0.78-0.81 gm%
 11% γ globulin: 0.66-0.70 gm%
 A/G ratio :1.7-1
 7% Fibrinogen: 0.3 gm%
 Prothrombin: 40 mg %

34. Elfo fractions of plasma proteins
Fraction Rel. amount
(%)
c (g)
Albumins: albumin
pre-albumin (transthyretin)
52 – 58 34 – 50
1-globulins: thyroxin-binding globulin, transcortin,
1-acid glycoprotein, 1-antitrypsin, 1-lipoprotein
(HDL), 1-fetoprotein
2,4 – 4,4 2-4
2-globulins: haptoglobin, macroglobulin,
ceruloplasmin
6,1 – 10,1 5 – 9
-globulins: transferrin, hemopexin, lipoprotein
(LDL), fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, C3 and C4
components of the complement system
8,5 – 14,5 6 – 11
-globulins: IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, IgE 10 – 21 8 – 15

35.  Globulins
 ~38% of plasma proteins
 Include immunoglobins which attack foreign proteins
and pathogens
 Include transport globulins which bind ions, hormones
and other compounds
 Fibrinogen
 Converted to fibrin during clotting
 Removal of fibrinogen leaves serum

36. Functions of Plasma Proteins
 Exert Osmotic Pressure :
 Contribution to BloodViscosity
 Role in Coagulation of Blood
 Role in Defense Mechanism of Body
 Role in maintaining acid –base balance of body
 Transport Function

37. Exert osmotic pressure
 Plasma proteins can’t cross capillary membrane
so exert colloidal osmotic pressure of about
25mmHg on capillary membrane. 80% of COP is
contributed by Albumin
 COP plays an important role in exchange of
water between blood & tissue fluid
 At arterial end of capillaries, due to high
Hydrostatic Pressure than COP there occurs
filtration of fluid out in tissues
 At venous end of capillaries due to lower HP than
COP there occur absorption of fluid from tissues
in to vessels

38. Functions of Plasma
Osmotic pressure:
Plasma proteins are osmotically active molecules,
and the osmotic pressure of plasma due to plasma
proteins is called oncotic pressure.
The normal oncotic pressure is 25 mmHg. This
pressure helps in maintaining volume of the
vascular compartment.
.

39. Oncotic pressure retains fluid in the
vascular compartment and therefore,
prevents loss of fluid from capillaries
into the interstitial tissue space
(functionally, it opposes the action of
hydrostatic pressure).
The oncotic pressure is due to the
presence of albumin in the plasma.

40. Contribution to Blood Viscosity
 Shape of Plasma Proteins Greatly contribute
toViscosity of Blood.
 Fibrinogen & globulins are main contributors
due to their asymetrical shape
 The BloodViscosity plays an important role in
the maintenance of Blood Pressure by
providing resistance to flow of blood .

42. Role in Coagulation of Blood
 The Fibrinogen ,Prothrombin & other
coagulation proteins present in plasma play
important role in the coagulation of Blood.
 Whenever ,there is injury to blood vessels, the
fibrinogen is converted in to fibrin which form
blood clot

43. Role in Defense
 The Gamma globulins are anti bodies which
plays an important role in the immune
system meant for defense of the body
against the micro-organisms

44. Acid-Base Balance
 Plasma Proteins acts as Buffers
 Contribute for 15% buffering capacity of Blood
 PP are amphhoteric in nature means can
combine with acids and bases.
 In Acidic Ph the NH2 group of the proteins acts
as base & accept proton & is converted to NH4
 In Alkaline Ph the COOH group of the protein
act as acid & can donate a proton & thus
become COO-

45. Transport Function
 PP can combine easily with many substances
& play an essential role in their transport
 CO2 is transported by PP in the form of carb-
amino compounds
 Thyroxine- is transported by an alpha –
globuline calledTBP
 Cortisol is transported by
transcortin(mucoprotein)

46. Transport Function
 Vitamins A,D & E are transported by the high
and low density lipoproteins.
 Bilirubin is transported with Albumin & also
with fractions of alpha globulin.
 Drugs are transported with Albumin
 Ca++ of plasma is 50% bound to proteins for
transport.
 Cu is bound to ceruloplasmin(alpha globulin)
for transport
 Free HB in the vessels is bound to haptoglobin
& is carried to reticulo-endothelial system

47. Labile protein store:
Plasma proteins serve as mobile protein
reserve( as the source of amino acid for
tissues) of the body, which can be utilized for
tissue growth, especially in situations of protein
depletion.

53. Causes of Albumin Deficiency
 Liver diseases (cirrhosis) – decrease in the ratio of albumin to
globulins
 Protein malnutrition
 Excessive excretion by kidneys (renal disease)
 Mutation causing analbuminemia (affects splicing)

54. Variations in plasma protein levels
Reduced albumin:
(i) Infancy
(ii) Pregnancy
(iii) Hepatitis
(iv) Cirrhosis
(v) Nephrosis
(vi) burns
Increased globulin:
(i) Cirrhosis of liver
(ii) Tuberculosis
(iii) Lymphatic leukemia
Decreased Fibrinogen:
(i) Congenital
(ii) DIC
Increased Fibrinogen:
(i) Pregnancy
(ii) malaria