Theme: Blood and body fluids

Lecture: Blood as part of the ECF

BY
Okpanachi O. Alfred
(Neuro-endocrinePhysiologist)
 Lecture outline
• Blood : composition, properties and
functions
• Plasma, its composition. Plasma proteins,
functions , normal values
• Anemia and polycythemia
• Common blood tests: hematocrit and ESR.
 Blood: general features
• Blood is a connective tissue in fluid form.
• Blood (plasma) is part of the Extracellular fluid
• Average volume of blood in a normal adult is 5 L
• In a newborn baby, the volume is 450 ml.
• In females, it is slightly less and is about 4.5 L.
• It is about 8% of the body weight in a normal
young healthy adult, weighing about 70 kg.
 Blood composition
• Blood composition - 5 litres of plasma
and several kinds of cells.

• These “cells” are erythrocytes (red blood

cells), leukocytes (white blood cells) and
thrombocytes (platelets).

• The red blood cells constitute about 45%

of the total blood volume .
 9 × 109 5 × 1012 3 × 1011
(1.0% of blood volume)  (45.0% of b. v.)  (>1.0% of b. v.) 
 Plasma
• The 55% (2.7-3.0 L) is blood plasma
• It is a fluid that is the blood's liquid medium
• Blood plasma is essentially an aqueous
solution containing:
 92% water
 8% blood plasma proteins ( globulin,
fibrinogen, albumin)
 trace amounts of other materials.
 Plasma composition: summary
• Serum albumin
• Blood clotting factors (fibrinogen and others)
• Immunoglobulins (antibodies)
• Hormones
• Carbon dioxide and oxygen
• Various other proteins
• Various electrolytes (mainly sodium and
chloride)
 Properties of blood
• Density of approximately 1060 kg/m³
• Distinctive red colour (oxygenated is bright
and deoxygenated is a darker shade)
• The normal pH 7.40
(normal range is 7.35-7.45)
• Temperature 37 °C
 Functions of blood
• Supply of oxygen to tissues
• Supply of nutrients
• Removal of waste products
• Immunological functions or defense
• Coagulation or clotting
• Transport
• Regulation of body functions ( pH, temperature
control…)
 Plasma proteins: origin
• „In embryonic stage, the plasma proteins are
synthesized by the mesenchyme cells. The
albumin is synthesized first and other proteins
are synthesized later.
• In adults, the plasma proteins are synthesized
mainly from reticuloendothelial cells of liver.
• The plasma proteins are synthesized also from
spleen, bone marrow, disintegrating blood
cells and general tissue cells. Gamma globulin
is synthesized from B lymphocytes
 Plasma proteins; normal values:

Total proteins : 7.3 g/dL (6.4 to 8.3 g/dL)

Serum albumin : 4.7 g/dL

Serum globulin : 2.3 g/dL

Fibrinogen : 0.3 g/dL

Variations in plasma protein level
• Level of plasma proteins vary independently
of one another.
• In several conditions, the quantity of albumin
and globulin change in opposite direction.
• Hyperproteinemia: Elevation of all fractions of
plasma proteins.
• Hypoproteinemia: decrease in all fractions of
plasma proteins.
 Functions of plasma proteins
• Coagulation of blood
• Defense mechanism of body
• Transport mechanism
• Maintenance of osmotic pressure in blood
• Role as reserve proteins
• Regulation of acid-base balance
• Increasing viscosity of blood
• Involvement in Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate and
suspension stability of red blood cells
Hematocrit
ESR
COMMON BLOOD TESTS
 Hematocrit or PCV
– Percentage of the total blood occupied by RBC- 45%
average
–<45% anemia
–>45% polycythemia
Anemia is a shortage of RBCs and/or the amount of
hemoglobin in them.

Polycythemia is an overproduction of red blood cells.

Mechanism of physiological polycythemia
 Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR): The rate at which the erythrocytes settle down.
Blood is mixed with an anticoagulant and allowed to stand on a vertical tube, the red cells
settle down due to gravity.

By Westergren Method By Wintrobe Method

• In males : 3 to 7 mm in • In males : 0 to 9 mm in 1
1 hour hour
• In females : 5 to 9 mm • In females : 0 to 15 mm in
in 1 hour 1 hour
• Infants : 0 to 2 mm in 1 • Infants : 0 to 5 mm in 1
hour hour
 Determination of ESR and PCV
Wintrobe
Tube
Westergren
tube For ESR
For ESR And PCV
 Required reading
• GUYTON HALL. TEXTBOOK OF MEDICAL
PHYSIOLOGY
• GANONG, MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY