Composition &

Functions of Blood
(Cellular elements)
WHAT IS HEMATOLOGY?

"Hematology" comes from the Greek words

haima, meaning blood, and logos, meaning
study or science. So, hematology is the
science of blood.
Blood

Blood is a complex fluid tissue. Its circulates in a

closed system of blood vessels and heart.
The normal adult total circulatory blood volume is
about 8% of the total body weight(5600 ml in 70
kg man).
The Blood Throughout Life

First blood cells develop with the earliest

blood vessels
Mesenchyme cells cluster into blood islands
Late in the second month
Liver and spleen take over blood formation
Bone marrow becomes major hematopoietic
organ at month 7
COMPOSITION OF BLOOD
A centrifuge separates blood into two components.
Composition of Blood

Blood is the body’s only fluid tissue

It is composed of liquid plasma and formed
elements
 Formed elements include:
• Erythrocytes, or red blood cells (RBCs)
• Leukocytes, or white blood cells (WBCs)
• Platelets
 Hematocrit –the percentage of RBCs/ Formed
elements out of the total blood volume
Composition of blood (Percentages)
Blood plasma contains over 100 solutes, including:
Blood plasma

Proteins –albumin, globulins, clotting proteins,

and others
Lactic acid, urea, creatinine
Organic nutrients –glucose, carbohydrates, amino
acids
Electrolytes –sodium, potassium, calcium,
chloride, bicarbonate
Respiratory gases –oxygen and carbon dioxide
Plasma proteins
Albumin
Helps control osmotic pressure
Helps control diffusion of water (recall edema)
Globulin
Includes antibodies (Abs)
Transport proteins (lipids, iron, copper, etc.)
Fibrinogen
Involved in clotting
Serum
Is the liquid and solute component of blood which
does not play a role in clotting.
It allows substance to stick to the molecules within the
serum and be buried within it.
Formed Elements
 Erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets make up the
formed elements
Only WBCs are complete cells
RBCs have no nuclei or organelles, and platelets are
just cell fragments
 Most formed elements survive in the bloodstream for
only a few days
 Most blood cells do not divide but are renewed by cells
in bone marrow
The formed elements
What are the Characteristics of different types of blood cells?
RBCs: contain red haemoglobinwhich enables RBCs to
carry oxygenand some carbon dioxide

WBCs: lymphocytes& phagocytes, protect us from

diseases

Platelets: broken cell fragments, help in blood clotting

Formed Elements
Red blood cells (RBCs) are the most numerous cells in
the body. They circulate for about four months before
being recycled; millions are produced each second.
The hemoglobin inside transports oxygen from the
lungs to peripheral tissues and carbon dioxide from the
tissues to the lungs.