Blood

Blood: Is a transport medium of the body or it is a solution contains the fluid and the cells, the fluids is the
plasma and the cells known as blood cells.
blood volume of adults is about 8 % of total body weight (5 liters in women and 5.5 liters in men.)

General function:
1. It transports O2 from the lungs to the tissues and return CO2 from the tissue to the lungs.
2. It carries nutrients from the digestive system to the tissues and return waste products from the tissues
to the kidney for excretion.
3. It carries hormones from the endocrine glands to the tissues where they act.
4. It maintains a constant body temperature.
5. It transports vitamins, enzymes and electrolyte.
6. It transports infection-fighting blood cells (leukocytes) and antibodies.
7. Hb is a good acid-base buffer, that maintains the pH of the body (with the help of the kidneys).

Blood formation

Plasma: is a light yellow transported alkaline fluid. Plasma is a fluid portion obtain from blood without
clotting, while fluid obtained from blood after blood clotting is called serum, serum has no clotting factors
(fibrinogen). While plasma contains blood clotting agent’s fibrinogen. Plasma is 50 ml/Kg of body weight or
1/20th of body weight. Many substances are dissolved in plasma including electrolytes, proteins, lipids,
carbohydrates (particularly glucose) amino acids, vitamins, hormones, nitrogenous breakdown products of
metabolism (such as urea and uric acid) and finally gases (N2, O2, CO2). 3
Blood Cells (Corpuscles):
1. RBC Erythrocytes
2. WBC Leukocytes
3. Platelets Thrombocytes
Red Blood Cells (Erythrocytes):
- Biconcave disc which is round and flat. - Nucleus Absent (non-nucleated)
- percentage of erythrocytes in the total blood called hematocrit or packed cell volume (PCV.
- RBC contains hemoglobin - RBCs cannot repair themselves. - Life span of 120 days.

Regulation of RBCs:
Any condition that causes a decrease in the amount of oxygen transported to the tissues increases the rate
of red blood cell production.

Factors that decrease oxygenation

1. Low blood volume 2. Anemia 3. Low hemoglobin 4. Poor blood flow
5. Pulmonary disease 6. Heart failure 7. Bleeding 8. Destruction of bone marrow

Destruction of RBC:

Hemoglobin (Hb): two main parts heme and globin. important pigment of the blood which is red in color.

Formation of Hemoglobin:

White blood cell (WBC) or Leukocytes:

The leukocytes, also called white blood cells, are the mobile units of the body’s protective system.
Functions of White Blood Cells:
1. Phagocytosis: engulf foreign particles through their phagocytic action, thereby destroying their action.
2. Body defense: manufactures anti-bodies to increase the power of resistance against any infection.
3. Formation of fibroblast:which help the process of tissue repair and regeneration.
4. Secretion of heparin: which is important blood anticoagulant, prevent intravascular clotting.
5. Anti-histamine functions: defend the body against allergic conditions.
6. Production of thromboplastic substances:the process of coagulation and the deposit of clot are facilitated.
7. Destroy Cancer Cells: recognizing and killing virally infected cells, also target and kill tumor cells.
8. Manufacture of trephones: which exert great influence on the nutrition, growth and repair of tissues.
White Blood Cells Abnormalities:
1- Quantitative abnormalities (abnormality in the number of blood cells):
• Leukopenia: is a decrease in white blood cell count that
caused by damage to the bone marrow from things like medications, radiation, or chemotherapy.
• Leukocytosis: is an increase in white blood cell count that can be
caused by a number of conditions, including various types of infections, inflammatory disease in the body.
2- Qualitative Abnormalities (abnormality in the function of blood cells):
• Leukemia: is a type of cancer found in blood and bone marrow and is caused by the rapid production of
abnormal white blood cells.

Platelets (Thrombocytes):
Platelets (also called thrombocytes) are tiny discs 1-4 μm in diameter.
Oval round structure with organelles but non nucleus, they are formed in the bone marrow
Their half-life in the blood of 8 to 12 days.
Platelets have an important role in the control of bleeding.
.Deficiency of platelets in the blood circulation is called thrombocytopenia.

Hemostasis: means prevention of blood loss (bleeding) from a broken blood vessel. Whenever a vessel is
severed or ruptured, hemostasis is achieved by several mechanisms:

Mechanism of Blood Coagulation