Plasma

Question 1

What is plasma

Answer 1

The liquid component of blood

Question 2

Serum

Answer 2

Plasma minus the clotting factors

Blood is taken into a tube without an anticoagulant, allowed to clot then centrifuged

Question 3

Difference in preparation plasma vs serum

Answer 3

Plasma - relatively quick to prep

Serum - cleaner sample but takes longer

Question 4

4 main types of fluid compartment

Answer 4

• Intracellular
• Interstitial fluid (between cells)
• Blood plasma
• Transcellular fluid (includes CSF, ocular, synovial fluid)

Question 5

How many liters of water in a 70kg male

Answer 5

~40L

55% intracellular

45% extracellular

Question 6

Plasma functions

Answer 6

• Clotting - clotting factors and Von Willebrand factor
• Osmotic pressure maintenance - e.g. albumin
• Metabolism - nutrients such as glucose, AAs and vitamins are transported into the plasma
• Immune defence - antibodies and complement proteins are found in plasma
• Endocrine - many hormones are soluble in plasma and travel through into blood to target organs
• Excretion - cell metabolism waste products such as urea are transported via the plasma fraction of the blood to the kidneys for removal

Question 7

How do you assay proteins

Answer 7

Electrophoresis

Question 8

Major plasma proteins

Answer 8

Serum albumin is the most abundant plasma protein so has largest peak and is closest to the cathode
Globulins

Question 9

Where is serum albumin produced

Answer 9

Liver
Transports lipids hormones and ions and maintains osmotic pressure of plasma

Question 10

Role of albumin in beta oxidation

Answer 10

Fatty acids released by lipolysis from the breakdown of triglycerides in adipose tissue are transported by albumin for use by tissues in β-oxidation

Question 11

Proteins and functions

Answer 11

a1-Alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT)
Protease inhibitor.
a2-a2 macroglobulin and haptoblobin,protease inhibitor Binds to haemoglobin released from erythrocytes and the resulting haptoglobin-haemoglobin complex is removed by spleen.
B-transferrin transports iron
Y-immunoglobulin,c reactive protein,immune regulatory and acute phase protein

Question 12

Electrolytes

Answer 12

Maintain osmolarity
Intracellular:K+,PO4,Mg2+
Extracellular:Na+,cl-,Ca2+,Hco3-

Question 13

What do you see when centrifuging blood

Answer 13

Plasma 55%
Buffy coat made of leukocyte and platelets
Red cells 45%
Blood taken into tube with anticoagulant

Question 14

Serum separator tubes

Answer 14

Have a silica coating which induces clotting and a layer if gel forming a physical barrier between cells and serum

Question 15

Beta globulins

Answer 15

Made by liver
Transports dietary iron and iron released from ferritin stores

Question 16

Gamma globulins

Answer 16

Immunoglobulin which if increased indicates infection or myeloma

Question 17

Na+ and k+ atpase

Answer 17

More than one third of atp used powers the na and k+ atpase
Key to mainting function if. Muscle fibres and neurons and maintains cells volume

Question 18

Bio markers

Answer 18

Plasma proteome study links with disease,medications and inform treatments

Question 19

What can we use plasma for

Answer 19

Passive immunotherapy- immunoglobulins found in gamma globulin fraction can transfer immunity from one person to another
Intravenous immunoglobulin-allows introduction of large amounts of IgG and protects against most common oayjogens eg measles mumps rubella
Hyper immune globulin-donors screen for Hugh titre of IgG against a pathogen which is isolated and concentrated

Question 20

Convalescent plasma for Covid

Answer 20

Patients infected with Covid develop antibodies
After the patients recovers (convalesced) blood is obtained to get antibody rich plasma which is tested for affinity and number of antibodies which can then be given to paitient

Question 21

Alpha 1 antirypisin

Answer 21

Made in liver
Protease inhibitor
Protects tissues against neutrophil elastase
Defective A1AT can cause lung tissue degradation

Question 22

Alpha 2 globulins haptoglobin

Answer 22

Binds to haemoglobin forming haptoglobin haemoglobin complex which is removed by the spleen
Diagnoses haemolytic anaemia
Protease inhibitor which inhibits fibrinolysis

Question 23

Beta globulin

Answer 23

Controls dietary iron released from ferritin
Consists of C3,C4 complement proteins
Transferring is also a beta globulin which transfers iron

Question 24

Gamma globulins

Answer 24

Immunoglobulin
C reactive protein
Has diagnostic uses as increased means infection or myeloma

Question 25

Gamma globulins vs albumin

Answer 25

Gamma globulins are more positively vely charged than albumin