Blood

Blood Physiology
Lecture 1
Human Anatomy & Physiology 1 - MED119
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 Lecture Objectives
• Explain the composition and function of blood
• Explain the composition and function of
plasma
• Explain the formation of plasma
• Briefly describe the Plasma proteins

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 Blood
• Liquid connective tissue that fills the heart &
blood vessels

• 8% of total body mass (man has 5-6 liters

compared to 4-5 liters for woman)

• The branch of science concerned with the

study of blood, blood-forming tissues, & the
disorders associated with them is Hematology.
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 Composition of Blood
1. Blood plasma: a watery liquid extracellular matrix that
contains dissolved substances

2. Formed elements are cells & cell fragments.

I. Red blood cells (RBC)
II. White blood cells (WBC)
A. Granular leukocytes
i. Neutrophils
ii. Eosinophils
iii. basophils
B. Agranular leukocytes
A. T & B lymphocytes & natural killer (NK) cells
B. Monocytes
III. Platelets

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 Functions of Blood
1. Transport
• Substances can be transported free in plasma, bound to
plasma proteins, or within blood cells
– gases, ions, vitamins, hormones, nutrients

• Blood helps in excretion of waste materials by

transporting them from different parts of the body to
kidney

• Blood also maintains body temperature, transporting heat

– by doing so, it maintains the proper temperature in
different organs & tissues, & in the body as a whole

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 Functions of Blood
2. Immunity
• While the skin & mucous membranes physically restrict the entry of
infectious agents, microbes constantly penetrate these barriers

• WBCs are involved in the body’s battle against infection

3. Hemostasis
• Bleeding is controlled by the process of hemostasis

• Physical & cellular mechanisms participate in hemostasis

• These mechanisms are complex, interrelated

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 Plasma
• Fluid component of blood (a straw-colored)
• 55% of the total blood volume is plasma
• Blood cells & platelets are suspended in plasma.

• Blood plasma is a mixture of proteins, enzymes,

nutrients, wastes, hormones & gases.

• If blood is allowed to clot, some plasma proteins are

used up in the process of clotting
– the fluid left behind after clotting is called serum

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 Plasma Constituents & Functions
Constitute Description Function
Water Liquid portion of blood Solvent & suspending medium. Absorbs, transports, &
(91.5%) releases heat
Plasma Most produced by liver Responsible for colloid osmotic pressure, blood viscosity,
proteins transport hormones
(7%)
Other solutes (1.5%)
Electrolytes Inorganic salts; Maintain osmotic pressure & essential roles in cell functions
Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+;
Cl-, HPO42-, SO42-, HCO3-

Nutrients Products of digestion Essential roles in cell functions, growth, & development

Gases O2 O2 is important in many cellular functions

CO2 CO2 is involved in the regulation of blood pH
N2 N2 has no known function
Regulatory Enzymes Catalyze chemical reactions
substances Hormones Regulate metabolism, growth, & development
Vitamins Cofactors for enzymatic reactions
Waste Urea, uric acid, creatine Most are breakdown products of protein metabolism that are
products carried to organs of excretion 9
 Plasma Proteins
• Plasma proteins (also serum proteins / blood
proteins) are proteins found in blood plasma

• Major solute constituents of plasma

• Includes hundreds of enzymes, hormones, &

hormone binding proteins

• All the plasma proteins are synthesized in liver

except the gamma globulins

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 TYPES OF PLASMA PROTEINS

1. Albumin (4.5-5 g/dl)

2. Globulin (2.0-3.0 g/dl)

3. Fibrinogen (0.2-0.45 g/dl)

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Plasma % of Total Origin Function
Protein
Albumin 60% Liver Helps maintain COP, helps in
(4.5-5 g/dl) transport of electrolytes,
hormones, fatty acids, drugs,
amino acids, dyes

Globulin 36%
(2.0-3.0 g/dl) include forms:
• α globulin glycoprotein, Liver Transport fat soluble vitamins
lipoprotein,
• β globulin Liver ”
transferrin,ceruloplasmi
• ϒ globulin n, Lymphatic
Constitute a type of antibody
immunoglobulin tissue

Fibrinogen 4% Liver Plays a key role in blood

(0.2-0.45 coagulation
g/dl) contributes to the viscosity of
plasma
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 Functions of Plasma Proteins
1. Oncotic pressure
– plasma proteins are osmotically active molecules

– osmotic pressure of plasma due to plasma proteins is

called oncotic pressure (normal 25 mmHg)

– helps in maintaining volume of the vascular

compartment

– prevents loss of fluid from capillaries into interstitial

tissue space

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 Functions of Plasma Proteins
2. Viscosity
– plasma proteins contributes to about 50% of viscosity
of blood

– depends upon the molecular shape of the plasma

proteins

– fibrinogen molecules that are elongated & fibrillar in

shape contribute more to blood viscosity than
albumin molecules that are ellipsoid in shape
3. Immunity
– antibodies are plasma proteins (gamma globulins)

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 Functions of Plasma Proteins
4. Coagulation
– blood clotting depends on concentration of
fibrinogen, prothrombin & other coagulation factors

5. Transport
– plasma proteins severe as carrier molecule for
transport of various substances like hormones, drugs

6. Buffering
– plasma proteins form an important buffering system
– helps in acid-base balance of the body

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 Functions of Plasma Proteins
7. Reservoir function
– plasma proteins forms loose bound with the
hormones, drugs, & metals to serve as a ‘reservoir’

8. Synthetic function
– provide substrate for the synthesis of protein
hormones like erythropoietin

9. Determination of ESR
– ESR mostly depends on the concentration of
fibrinogen in the plasma

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References

• VanPutte, C. L., & Seeley, R. R. (2014). Seeley's anatomy

& physiology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
• Hall, J. E., & Guyton, A. C. (2011). Guyton and Hall
textbook of medical physiology. Philadelphia, PA:
Saunders Elsevier.
• Sembulingam, K., PhD, & Sembulingam, P., PhD.
(2012). Essentials of Medical Physiology (6th ed.).
Jaypee Brothers Medical Pub.
• Ganong’s Review of Medical Physiology 23e. (2021).
McGraw-Hill.
Any Questions?

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