Plasma

Question 1

What are the main fluid compartement distributions in a person?

Answer 1

Intracellular - 55% body water

Extracellular - 45% body water

• includes interstitial fluid 36% BW
• blood plasma 7%BW
• transcellular fluid 2%BW

Question 2

What is the buffy coat?

Answer 2

Leukocytes and platelets

Question 3

What is plasma?

Answer 3

Liquid component of blood

Question 4

List Buffy coat plasma and red blood cells in order of density and the percentage of blood they make up

Answer 4

Plasma 55%
buffy coat 1%
Red cells 45%

Lowest to highest density

Question 5

What is the difference between plasma and serum?

Answer 5

Plasma - relatively quick to prepare, has clotting factors

Serum - cleaner sample (fewer cells) but takes longer
No clotting factors

Question 6

How is serum collected?

What do the serum separator tubes have?

Answer 6

Blood taken into tube without anticoagulant and allowed to clot
Then centrifuged

SST have
- silica coating to induce clotting
Layer of gel to form physical barrier between cells and serum

Question 7

What are the 6 functions of plasma?

Answer 7

Immune defence 
Clotting 
Osmotic pressure maintenance 
Metabolism - transport
Endocrine - hormones soluble
Excretion

i cant obviously make everything easy

Question 8

How can you assay plasma proteins?

What is the order that they appear?

Answer 8

Electrophoresis

+ Albumin - globulins alpha1, alpha 2, beta, gamma -

Question 9

Where is serum albumin produced and name its key functions

Answer 9

55% of plasma - produced by liver

Transport of lipids, hormones and ions
maintains osmotic pressure of plasma

Fatty acids from breakdown of TGs are transported by albumin

Question 10

What are the two alpha 2 globulins and what do they each do

Answer 10

Haptoglobin - bind to haemoglobin released from RBCS and the resulting complex is removed by spleen - can diagnose haemolytic anaemia

α2 macroglobulin - protease inhibitor that can inactivate fibrinolysis

Question 11

What are the two alpha 2 globulins and what do they each do

Answer 11

Haptoglobin - bind to haemoglobin released from RBCS and the resulting complex is removed by spleen - can diagnose haemolytic anaemia

α2 macroglobulin - protease inhibitor that can inactivate fibrinolysis

Question 12

Give some examples of beta globulins

Answer 12

Complement proteins C3 and C4

Transferrin

Question 13

What are some gamma globulins?

What is their diagnostic use?

Answer 13

Immunoglobulins (antibodies)

C-reactive protein (acute phase protein)

Diagnostic used - increases in the relative amounts of the gamma fraction of globulins can indicate infection or myeloma

Question 14

What ion is the highest…

• intracellularly
• extracellularly
• has the largest difference in intra/extra cellular conc

Answer 14

Sodium 30x times higher extracellularly
Potassium 30x higher intracellularly

Ca2+ is 1000 lower intracellularly

Question 15

What can plasma be used for?

Answer 15

As a biomarker
Easy to obtain specimen to use in lab tests for diagnostic purposes
Study of the plasma proteome and links with disease, medication and lifestyle is used to inform treatment decisions
Elevated levels of key molecules can provide biomarkers for disease

Passive immunotherapy
Immunoglobulins found in the gamma globulin fracture can be used to transfer immunity from one individual to another

ie Intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG) Allows introduction of large amounts of IgG to protect against common pathogens donors are exposed to ie measles, mumps and rubella

Question 16

Explain the use of convalescent plasma to treat Covid -19 patients

Answer 16

efficiency is debateable -

blood donated after recovering to produce antibody rich plasma

plasma is tested for strength (affinity) and number of antibodies

given to patients infected with covid if levels are good