The blood Flashcards
Name the 4 different parts of blood
Plasma (liquid part of blood)
what is the plasma and what can we find in the plasma?
Plasma - the liquid part of the blood
Red blood cells
white blood cells
Platelets- tiny fragments of cells
what is the job of blood plasma
it’s the liquid that transports dissolved substances in the body
a) transports soluble digestion products (glucose eg) from the s intestine to other organs
b) transports carbon dioxide from the other organs to the lungs to be breathed out
c) transports the waste-product urea from the liver to the kidneys to be excreted in urine
where does plasma transport the soluble digestion products from and to?
transports digestion products from the small intestine to the other organs
transports carbon dioxide(produced by aerobic respiration) from the organs to the lungs to be breathed out
transports waste product urea from the liver to the kidneys (to be excreted in urine)
what is the function of red blood cells?
transports oxygen from the LUNGS to the BODY CELLS
how do red blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs to the body cells? (adaptations)
they have 3 adaptations
they contain the oxygen carrying molecule HAEMOGLOBIN
have no nucleus to make more room for the haemoglobin,
they have dimples at the centre of the cell, this gives them the shape which is called a biconcave disc, which increases the surface area for more oxygen to diffuse in and out of the cell RAPIDLY
what is the function of haemoglobin
haemoglobin combines with oxygen in the lungs forming the molecule OXYHAEMOGLOBIN
the red blood cells travel to the organs where the OXYHAEMOGLOBIN releases the oxygen
what is the molecule formed when haemoglobin reacts with oxygen?
oxyhaeoglobin
haemoglobin + oxygen —> oxyhaemoglobin
what is the biconcave disc?
why is this beneficial?
the dimples at the centre of the cell
gives red blood cells a greater surface area so that oxygen diffuses in and out rapidly
what do white blood cells form a part of?
part of the immune system (eg making antibodies)
key feature of a white blood cell and its purpose
white blood cells contain a nucleus. This contains DNA which encodes the instructions that the white blood cells need to do their job.
what are platelets and what is their function?
tiny fragments of cells and their job is to help the blood clot
uses of donated blood in medicine are:
- To replace blood LOST during injury
- some people are given platelets extracted from blood to help in clotting
- Proteins extracted from blood can also be useful for example antibodies
in a blood transfusion when donating blood, what do we have to ensure?
why do we do this?
that the donated blood is the SAME blood type as the patients
Otherwise the body’s immune system will reject the blood and the patient could die
Donated blood:
What harmful things can be transmitted through blood?
what do we do to prevent this
lots of different diseases
in the UK, blood is SCREENED for infections so the risk is extremely low.
