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0 When you donate blood, it is usually separated into different parts. This helps hospitals customize treatment for specific patients.
One of these parts is called plasma. It is the liquid part of blood that contains water, proteins, antibodies, and electrolytes.
Water
Water is a vital component of all living things and it makes up the majority of our body’s volume. It is a liquid and is mainly composed of two hydrogen atoms that are linked to an oxygen atom via a single chemical bond.
Human blood is made up of a mixture of plasma and serum, both of which are primarily water. Both contain electrolytes, protein, antibodies, nutrients, and waste products.
Both fluids have a shear-thinning, non-Newtonian behavior (no change in viscosity even when they flow quickly) and both are composed of particles of similar sizes. However, the serum is a bit thinner than the plasma and has more water than the plasma.
In addition, blood is a little alkaline and contains some heavy metals such as sodium. So when you run a blood test, it’s important to use both plasma and serum. This gives you a better understanding of how different types of samples behave and helps prevent false positives and negatives.
Proteins
Plasma is the liquid part of blood that contains antibodies, clotting factors, and other substances required to keep the body functioning. It is also responsible for transporting fatty acids and other nutrients to the proper place in the body.
While the advent of more sensitive mass spectrometry has made the study of serum and plasma proteomes easier, it has not eliminated the need for strategic strategies to separate these complex samples. This is because these samples contain a vast dynamic range of protein concentrations, involving salts, lipids, multiple mechanisms of degradation, and post-translational modifications.
To overcome the difficulty of separating these proteins, researchers used an immunodepletion strategy combined with anion exchange chromatography and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (two-dimensional PAGE) separation. A high-abundance serum sample was depleted and separated into six aliquots using these technologies. During the 2D-PAGE step, visualization of spots within the gel was used to identify proteins. These proteins were subsequently identified through mass spectrometry.
Clotting Factors
Blood is a fluid that carries important nutrients, oxygen, and waste products throughout the body. It is also responsible for regulating temperature and pH levels in the body.
Blood plasma is a liquid portion of blood that contains proteins, electrolytes, antigens, antibodies, hormones, and other substances. It is about 55% of the volume of the blood.
Clotting factors are specialized proteins that work with cells called platelets to form a clot to stop bleeding. People with a rare genetic disorder called hemophilia have a deficiency in one or more of these factors.
The clotting process involves a series of reactions that start with the production of factor X, which cleaves prothrombin (factor II) to thrombin (factor IIa). In addition, thrombin converts fibrinogen (factor I) into a long string of insoluble fibers, or fibrin. This fibrin meshwork traps platelets and blood cells, creating a strong, resilient clot.
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Nutrients
Nutrients are the substances that enable your body to function. They are found in food and include proteins, fats, carbohydrates (sugars), vitamins, and minerals.
You need nutrients for growth, cellular repair and maintenance, detoxification, and more. Your nutrient requirements vary depending on your age, gender, and activity levels.
Plasma is the liquid portion of your blood and makes up about 55% of its volume. It’s a light yellow color that resembles straw and is 90% water.
The fluid also carries your electrolytes, antibodies, nutrients, and waste products throughout your body. The fluid also helps to clot your blood.
A major part of plasma is made up of fibrinogen and blood clotting factors, which are needed to stop bleeding when you’re injured. Besides these, it also carries immune molecules called antibodies that protect you against infections from bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Plasma Vs Serum – What is the Difference?
It is common to hear people refer to plasma as serum, but it is important to know that there are differences between the two.
Blood is a liquid that contains both plasma and serum. The main difference between them is that plasma contains clotting factors while serum is a fluid devoid of these clotting factors.
Blood is a liquid
Blood is the fluid that transports oxygen, nutrients, waste products, cells, and hormones to all parts of the body. It also keeps the body’s temperature at a healthy level.
Blood includes red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. It contains a liquid part called plasma, which makes up about 55% of the blood’s overall volume.
Plasma is a light yellow liquid that carries water, salts, and enzymes in your blood. It also carries proteins and antibodies to help fight infections.
Proteins such as clotting factors and fibrinogen, which are important in the clotting process to stop bleeding when you’re injured, are present in blood plasma.
Plasma can be collected from whole blood donations, or by a special machine called apheresis, which separates and retains the desired product and then returns it back to the donor. This method is used to source lifesaving plasma for patients who have undergone severe bleeding or shock.
Blood contains clotting factors
Blood contains a series of proteins called clotting factors that help stop bleeding. When a blood vessel is damaged, these clotting factors work together to form a fibrin clot that can plug the wound and stop bleeding.
These clotting factors are in the plasma (the liquid part of the blood) and on the surface of some blood cells called platelets. They are also in the lining of certain blood vessels, called the endothelium.
A complex series of chemical reactions take place in the blood when these clotting factors come into contact with damaged tissue. This is called the blood coagulation cascade.
The clotting factors are a factor I (fibrinogen), prothrombin, factor II (tissue thromboplastin or TF), ionized calcium, factor III (tissue factor or TF), factor IV (labile factor or labile thromboplastin), factor V (stable thromboplastin), factor VI (plasma thrombin antecedent), and factor VIII (antihemophilic factor). Other clotting factors include the Christmas, Stuart-Prower, and Hageman factors.
Blood has a variety of medical uses
Blood is a complex fluid that transports oxygen and nutrients to living cells and removes waste. It also delivers immune cells to fight infection and contains platelets that can form a plug in a damaged blood vessel to prevent blood loss.
Plasma, which makes up 55% of blood, is the straw-colored liquid part of blood that carries red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and other fluids. It contains proteins, glucose, mineral ions, and other substances needed by the body.
It also keeps the pH balance at a normal level and regulates temperature within the body. If a test tube of blood is left to stand for half an hour, the heavier red cells will sink to the bottom and the lighter plasma will remain at the top.
Blood is separated into its components and is used to treat patients with various medical conditions. People can receive a pint of whole blood or the specific parts they need, such as red cells, platelets, or clotting factors.
Blood has a variety of medical tests
Blood has a variety of medical tests that are used to monitor your health and diagnose certain conditions. These tests can be done at your GP practice, local hospital, or at a private laboratory.
A complete blood count (CBC) is one of the most common types of blood tests, which measures levels of red blood cells and white blood cells. A low or high level of these cells may be a sign of dehydration, anemia, or bleeding.
Another common blood test is a basic metabolic panel, which measures the amounts of glucose, calcium, and electrolytes in your blood. These tests are useful for diagnosing conditions related to diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease.
Serum is a liquid component of blood that contains clotting factors and other substances. It is separated from plasma after centrifuging blood with anticoagulant compounds, such as EDTA heparin.
