Plasma Flashcards
What are the 4 main fluid compartments in the human body?
interstitial fluid, intracellular, extracellular,
transcellular fluid
What is the largest fluid compartment in the human body?
Intracellular (55%)
What is the fluid found between cells?
Interstitial
What drains interstitial fluid from the tissues?
lymphatic vessels (drained interstitial fluid is also known as lymph when collected by these vessels)
What does interstitial fluid play a vital role in?
Carrying oxygen and nutrients to cells and also acts as a vehicle for the removal of cellular waste products
What is the difference between plasma and interstitial fluid?
Plasma contains much more protein
What do transcellular fluids include?
occular fluids (eye) and cerebrospinal fluid
What is plasma?
The liquid component of blood, comprising of around 55% of a given volume
What is apheresis?
Technique in which blood of a donor is collected and passed through a centrifuge to separate a particular cellular component
What separates red cells and plasma after centrifugation?
Buffy coat
List 5 types of therapeutic apheresis treatments
Plasma exchange Low density Lipid removal Red cell exchange Platelet depletion White blood cell depletion
What conditions are plasma exchange used for?
Treatment if multiple sclerosis and myeloma
What is low density lipid removal used for?
treatment of patients prone to atherosclerosis
What disease is red cell exchange used for?
Treatment of sickle cell disease
What disorders are platelet depletion used for?
Treatment of disorders of homeostasis
What can white cell depletion be used as a treatment for?
treatment of leukaemia
How is serum generated?
Serum is generated by letting blood clot for several minutes
What takes longer to prepare; plasma or serum?
Plasma is relatively quick to prepare whilst serum can generate a cleaner sample (containing few cells) but takes longer to generate.
What is the difference between plasma and serum?
Plasma contains coagulation factors whereas serum doesn’t.
Why does a serum sample not contain coagulation factors?
serum sample is generated from blood allowed to clot