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1.2 POM Haematology > Plasma > Flashcards

Plasma Flashcards

1
Q

What is plasma?

A

The liquid component of blood

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2
Q

What proportion of blood is plasma?

A

55%

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3
Q

What is the buffy coat in blood?

A

Leukocytes and platelets
—> 1% of blood

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4
Q

What are the 3 components of blood?

A
  1. Red cells —> 45%
  2. Buffy coat —> 1%
  3. Plasma —> 55%
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5
Q

How can the 3 components of blood be separated?

A

Centrifugation

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6
Q

What is blood serum?

A

Plasma without clotting factors

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7
Q

How is serum obtained?

A
  1. Blood into tube without anticoagulant
  2. Blood clots
  3. Centrifugation —> isolate serum
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8
Q

What is an SST?

A

Serum Separator Tube

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9
Q

What do SSTs contain and why? (2)

A
  1. Silica coating —> induces clotting
  2. Gel layer —> barrier between cells and serum
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10
Q

How are different vacutainer types differentiated?

A

Colour of lid

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11
Q

What is the average volume of fluid in the body?

A

40L

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12
Q

What are the 2 categories of fluid in the body?

A
  1. Intracellular
  2. Extracellular
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13
Q

What are the 3 types of extracellular fluid?

A
  1. Interstitial
  2. Blood plasma
  3. Transcellular
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14
Q

What is the average volume of intracellular fluid in the body?

A

23L

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15
Q

What is the average volume of interstitial fluid in the body?

A

15L

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16
Q

What is the average volume of blood plasma in the body?

A

3L

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17
Q

What is the average volume of transcellular fluid in the body?

A

1L

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18
Q

What percentage of body fluid is intracellular fluid?

A

55%

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19
Q

What percentage of body fluid is interstitial fluid?

A

36%

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20
Q

What percentage of body fluid is blood plasma?

A

7%

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21
Q

What percentage of body fluid is transcellular fluid?

A

2%

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22
Q

What percentage of body fluid is extracellular fluid?

A

45%

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23
Q

What are the 6 functions of plasma?

A
  1. Clotting
  2. Immune defense
  3. Osmotic pressure maintenance
  4. Metabolism
  5. Endocrine
  6. Excretion
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24
Q

What components of plasma contribute to its clotting function? (2)

A
  1. Clotting factors
  2. Von Willebrand factor
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25
Q

What components of plasma contribute to its immune function?

A
  1. Antibodies
  2. Complement proteins
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26
Q

What components of plasma contribute to its osmotic pressure maintenance function?

A
  1. Proteins eg. albumin
  2. Electrolytes
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27
Q

What components of plasma contribute to its metabolic function?

A

Nutrients transported in plasma

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28
Q

What components of plasma contribute to its endocrine function?

A

Hormones transported in plasma to target organs

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29
Q

What components of plasma contribute to its excretory function?

A

Waste products transported via plasma eg. urea to kidneys

30
Q

What percentage of plasma is proteins?

31
Q

How can different proteins be obtained from plasma?

A

Electrophoresis

32
Q

What are the 2 main types of plasma proteins?

A
  1. Serum albumin
  2. Globulins
33
Q

What does a typical electrophoresis of serum look like?

A

+
1. Albumin - most —> highest peak
2. Alpha 1
3. Alpha 2
4. Beta
5. Gamma
-

34
Q

What are the 4 types of globulin plasma protein?

A
  1. Alpha 1
  2. Alpha 2
  3. Beta
  4. Gamma
35
Q

What percentage of plasma proteins are globulin?

36
Q

What is the alpha-1 globulin present in plasma?

A

A1AT (Alpha-1 AntiTrypsin)

37
Q

Where is A1AT produced?

38
Q

What are the 2 functions of A1AT?

A
  1. Inhibits proteases —> won’t breakdown plasma proteins
  2. Protect tissues from enzymes - eg. neutrophil elastase released during inflammatory response
39
Q

What does A1AT deficiency lead to?

A

Respiratory problems
- Degradation of lung tissue
- More vulnerable to pollutants

40
Q

What type of proteins are C3 and C4?

A

Beta-globulins

41
Q

What are 3 examples of beta globulins?

A
  1. C3
  2. C4
  3. Transferrin
42
Q

What type of protein is transferrin?

A

Beta-globulin

43
Q

What is the function of transferrin?

A

Transport iron (from diet and ferritin stores)

44
Q

Where is transferrin produced?

45
Q

What are the 2 types of gamma globins in plasma?

A
  1. Immunoglobins
  2. C reactive protein
46
Q

What type of protein are immunoglobulins?

A

Gamma-globins

47
Q

What type of protein is C reactive protein?

A

Gamma-globins

48
Q

What is an increase in gamma globin indicative of? (2)

A
  1. Infection
  2. Myeloma
49
Q

What are the 3 components of plasma?

A
  1. Water
  2. Proteins
  3. Electrolytes
50
Q

Which 5 electrolytes are found in plasma?

A
  1. Na+
  2. K+
  3. Ca2+
  4. Mg2+
  5. Cl-
51
Q

What is the concentration of Na+ in plasma vs blood cells?

A

Higher in plasma (30x)
- 150 vs 5

52
Q

What is the concentration of K+ in plasma vs blood cells?

A

Higher in cells (30x)
- 5 vs 140

53
Q

What is the concentration of Ca2+ in plasma vs blood cells?

A

Higher in plasma (1000s x)
- 3 vs 10^-4

54
Q

What is the concentration of Mg2+ in plasma vs blood cells?

A

Higher in plasma (4x)
- 2 vs 0.5

55
Q

What is the concentration of Cl- in plasma vs blood cells?

A

Higher in plasma (11x)
- 110 vs 10
- Balances positive charge of Na+

56
Q

What is the function of Mg2+ in plasma?

A

Cofactor of enzymes

57
Q

What is an increase in intracellular Ca2+ indicative of?

A

Cell signalling

58
Q

What proportion of ATP used at rest is consumed by Na+K+ATPase?

59
Q

What happens when intracellular ATP levels decrease?

A

Cells swell —> spherical
- Inc Na+ in —> inc Cl- and water in

60
Q

What are the 2 uses of plasma in diagnostics/treatment?

A
  1. Biomarkers —> diagnosis
  2. Passive immunotherapy —> treatment
61
Q

How can plasma be used as biomarkers?

A
  1. Plasma specimen subjected to lab tests (see elevated molecules)
  2. Study plasma proteome
62
Q

Why is plasma/serum so useful in diagnostics?

A

Easy to obtain

63
Q

How can plasma be used for passive immunotherapy?

A

Transfer plasma immunoglobins (IgG) to infected/vulnerable patients

64
Q

Why is plasma so useful for passive immunotherapy? (2)

A
  1. Lots of IgG
  2. Protects against most common pathogens (eg. MMR)
65
Q

What is IVIG?

A

IntraVenous Immunoglobin G

66
Q

What is the main methods of using plasma for passive immunotherapy?

67
Q

What is hyperimmune globulin?

A

Specialised form of immunoglobulin containing a high concentration of antibodies specific to a particular pathogen
- Donors screened for high titres of IgG

68
Q

What is an example of using plasma to treat an infection?

69
Q

What are the 4 steps of using convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19

A
  1. Patient infected with SARS-Cov-2 —> develops specific antibodies against COVID —> recovers
  2. Blood donated —> antibody-rich plasma obtained
  3. Plasma tested for affinity and number of antibodies
  4. Plasma donated to patient with COVID-19 infection
70
Q

What are convalescent antibodies?

A

From individuals who have recovered from a specific infection

1.2 POM Haematology (7 decks)

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