Blood

Question 1

Name the 4 components of blood

Answer 1

Plasma, red blood cell, white blood cell, platelets

Question 2

What is the function of plasma?

Answer 2

Transporting carbon dioxide, digested food molecules, urea and hormones; distributing heat

Question 3

What are the function of platelets?

Answer 3

Involved in blood clotting

Question 4

What are the function of white blood cells?

Answer 4

Ingesting pathogens and producing antibodies

Question 5

What are the function of red blood cells?

Answer 5

Transporting oxygen

Question 6

How are red blood cells adapted to their function?
Give 2 reasons

Answer 6

-They have no nucleus
-They have a biconcave shape to maximise their surface area for
oxygen absorption.
-They are thin, so there is only a short distance for the oxygen to
diffuse to reach the centre of the cell.

Question 7

How are platelets adapted to their function?
Give 2 reasons

Answer 7

-they have proteins on their surface that enable them to stick to
breaks in a blood vessel and clump together
-they secrete proteins that result in a series of chemical reactions
that make blood clot, which plugs a wound.

Question 8

Evaluate the risks related to the use of blood
products

Answer 8

Blood for transfusion must be compatible with that of the patient’s blood. Before a transfusion, white blood cells are often removed to reduce the risk of infections or immune reactions.