Plasma Flashcards

1
Q

What is the majority of the water in a human body and its function?

A

-Male of 70kg made up of around 60L of water
-Majority of this water (55%) is intracellular
-Of the extracellular fluid, next largest is interstitial fluid (fluid found between cells)
Interstitial fluid plays vital role in carrying oxygen and nutrients to cells and acts as vehicle for removal of waste products
-Interstitial fluid is drained from the tissues by the lymphatic vessel (also known as lymph when collected by these vessels
-Lymph drains to secondary lymphoid organs such as lymph nodes and is component of adaptive immune response

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2
Q

What is plasma ?

A
  • Plasma makes up second largest component of the extracellular fluids making up around -7% of total bodily fluids and is liquid competent of blood
  • Plasma v similar to composition of interstitial fluid but plasma contains more protein
  • A group of fluids collectively referred to as transcellular fluid make up remaining fluids of the body and includes ocular fluids (found within the eye) and cerebrospinal fluid
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3
Q

What makes up blood? How do you stop it from clotting?

A
  • Treat whole blood with anticoagulant to stop blood from clotting and then centrifuge sample:
  • Red cells around 45% of whole blood and separated from plasma by the Buffy coat, this consists of leukocytes and platelets and makes up less than 1% of whole blood
  • Apherisis is technique where donor blood collected and passed through centrifuge to separate cellular component with remaining retuned to donor and so different cell fractions can be purified for further use
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4
Q

How is serum generated?

A

-Serum is generated by letting blood to clot for several mins, depleting plasma of coagulation factors and trapping cells and platelets within the clot

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5
Q

Describe serum albumin

A
  1. Serum albumin makes up around 55% of total plasma proteins and is produced by the liver
  2. Serum albumin has several key functions including transport of lipid, hormones and ions and maintaining the osmotic pressure of plasma
  3. Fatty acids are released by lipolysis from breakdown of triglycerides in adipose tissue and albumin plays key role in transporting these around body for use by other tissues in beta-oxidation
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6
Q

What are the two types of alpha goblins?

A

This group born down into alpha-1 globulin and alpha-2 globulins

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7
Q

What are examples of beta globulins? Where are they produced?

A
  1. Beta globulins include complement proteins C3 and C4
  2. The protein transferrin is also a beta globulin and plays role in transport of iron
  3. Generated by the liver, transferring transports both dietary iron and that rebased from stores of ferritin
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8
Q

What are examples of gamma globulins?

A
  1. Immunoglobulins (antibodies) and the acute phase protein C-reactive protein
  2. Increases in the relative amounts of the gamma fraction of globulins can reflect increase immune system activity, associated with infection
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9
Q

What are the different electrolytes?

A
  1. Sodium most plentiful cation in plasma and found at levels 30 times lower inside rbc
  2. Potassium levels are 30 times lower outside rbc
  3. Calcium ions found at intracellular levels several thousand times lower than outside cell
  4. Intracellular magnesium is important cofactor for many enzymes
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10
Q

What is the Na+-K+-ATPase?

A
  1. Active transport
  2. ATPase since hydrolysis of ATP is required to provide energy for transportation
  3. Three Na+ ions out
  4. Two K+ ions enter the cell
    - Significance of active transport of Na+ and K+ born out by fact more than one third of ATP consumed during rest used to power Na+-K+-ATPase
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11
Q

What is serum 1 alpha globulins?

A

Serum Alpha 1 globulins are represented by alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT)

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12
Q

Where are serum 1 alpha globulins produced?

A

produced by liver

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13
Q

What does serum 1 alpha globulins do?

A

enters circulation where inhibits proteases and by doing this A1AT protects tissue from enzymes e.g. protease neutrophil elastase released by neutrophils during inflammation

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14
Q

What can deficient A1AT lead to?

A

Defective of deficient A1AT can comprise the ling where degradation of lung tissue leads to loss of elasticity and reparatory problems

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15
Q

What is serum alpha-2 globulins?

A

Alpha02 globulins are typified by haptoglobin and alpha2-macroglobulin

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16
Q

What does haptoglobulin do?

A

Haptoglobin binds to haemoglobin rebased from erythrocytes and the resulting haptoglobin-haemoglobin complex is removed by the spleen

17
Q

When would you measure levels of haptoglobulin?

A

Measuring levels of haptoglobin can be informative in the diagnosis of haemolytic anaemia in combination with other parameter

18
Q

What does alpha-2 macro globulin do?

A

Alpha2-macroglobin is a broadly active protease inhibitor which can inactive fibrinolysis, the breakdown of fibrin involved in blood clotting

19
Q

How is the positive charge from the intracellular potassium mostly balanced?

A

-mainly balanced by extracellular chloride ions

20
Q

How is the internally high conc of potassium inside the cell neutralised?

A

by a variety of anions e.g. proteins, nucleic acids, phosphorylated proteins

21
Q

What are increases in intracellular calcium are associated with?

A

Increases in signalling events and can be due to either the opening of calcium channels allowing influx form the exterior or the release of intracellular stores

22
Q

What happens as ATP levels get less?

A

When ATP levels become depleted, cells have a tendency to become more spherical because of inward movement of sodium ions and water

23
Q

What is the difference between plasma and serum?

A
  • Both plasma and serum provide an easy to obtain clinical specimen can be subjected to lab tests for diagnostic purposes, elevated levels of some key molecules provide biomarkers of disease
  • over 1,000 unique proteins in serum either secreted by cells or related during cell death
  • Plasma quick to prepare when serum is longer but can generate cleaner sample (containing few cells)