Blood Plasma Flashcards
What are the four fluid compartments and their relative proportions?
Intracellular 55%
Interstitial 36%
Blood plasma 7%
Transcellular 2%
What is the most abundant protein in the blood?
Serum albumin
Why does albumin have the biggest peak and closest to the left side?
Largest therefore closest to cathode
What ion has the highest concentration in plasma?
Sodium
What ion has the highest concentration in blood cells?
K+
What is the alpha 1 globulin?
A1AT - Alpha 1 anti trypsin
What does A1AT do?
It is a protease inhibitor, protects the lungs against degradation of tissue by neutrophil elastase
What are the alpha 2 globulins?
Macroglobin and haptoglobin
What does macroglobin do?
Inactivates fibrinolysis so more clot formation
What does haptoglobin do?
Binds to release haemoglobin, forming haptoglobin-haemoglobin complexes which are removed by the spleen
What are beta globulins?
Complement proteins and transferritin
What are Gemma globulins?
C Reactive protein - increased levels during infection / inflammation
What is plasma?
The liquid component of blood
What is serum?
The blood plasma minus the clotting factors
What is the buffy coat?
Leukocytes and platelets
How is serum collected?
Blood taken without anticoagulant, so clotting factors are in the clot
The clot is then separated from the rest of the components through a centrifuge
What do serum separator tubes have which induce clotting?
Silica coating
How is the serum separated from the rest of the cells?
The serum separator tubes have a layer of gel which forms a physical barrier between the serum and the cells
What is the advantage of collecting plasma over serum?
Plasma is collected more easily
What are the functions of plasma?
MOCIEE
Metabolism Osmotic Balance maintainance Clotting Immune defense Excretion Endocrine
How is plasma involved in excretion?
cell metabolism waste products such as urea are transported via the plasma fraction of the blood to the kidneys for removal
How is plasma involved in endocrine functions?
many hormones are soluble in plasma and following release into the blood travel to their target organs
What protein helps to maintain colloid osmotic pressure?
Serum albumin
what are the key functions of serum albumin?
Transport of hormones, lipids and ions
Maintainance of osmotic pressure of plasma
How does albumin get involved with beta oxidation?
Fatty acids released by lipolysis from the breakdown of triglycerides in adipose tissue are transported by albumin for use by tissues in 𝛃-oxidation.
Measuring levels of haptoglobin can be informative in the diagnosis of what?
haemolytic anaemia
More than one third of the ATP consumed during rest is used to do what?
Power the Na+/K+ ATPase
What happens to the shape of the cells when ATP levels depleted?
The cells have a tendency to become more spherical because of the inwards movement of sodium ions and water
How can plasma be used in passive immunotherapy?
Immunoglobulins found in the gamma globulin fraction can be used to transfer immunity from one individual to another.
What is IVIG?
Intravenous Immunoglobulin - allows for the introduction of relatively large amounts of IgG
How are the IgG obtained from patients?
Donors are screen for high levels of IgG against a particular pathogen using ELISA, this IgG fraction is then isolated from the plasma of these donors and concentrated
What is convalescent plasma?
Plasma of patients who have recovered from different diseases like COVID19
How can convalescent plasma be used to treat patient with COVID19?
- Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, develop antibodies against the virus.
- After the patient has recovered (convalesced), blood is donated to produce obtain antibody-rich plasma.
- The plasma is tested for strength (affinity) and number of antibodies.
- If these levels are fine, the plasma is given to a patient infected with COVID-19.
What is the main difference between plasma and interstitial fluid?
Plasma is very similar to interstitial with the main difference being that plasma contains much more protein.
