Blood Components

geekymedics.com/blood-components

Grace Woollard April 25, 2022

Introduction
Blood is a critical body fluid that circulates through the vascular system.

It is responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients to tissues, bringing waste products
to the liver, contributing to body temperature regulation, and acting as both a reservoir and
mode of transport for immune cells. Blood can also form clots, stopping excessive blood
loss in times of injury.1,2

The average human adult has more than five litres of blood, and it makes up 7-8% of body
weight.1,3

Blood has four main components: red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, and platelets.

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 Figure 1. Blood centrifugation showing the
individual components.

Red blood cells

They contain haemoglobin, a metalloprotein with haem groups which can bind to oxygen
for transport.

Erythrocytes are 6µm in size, allowing them to travel through small capillaries to deliver
oxygen to tissues. They have no nucleus, mitochondria, or other organelles. Instead, they
use their volume to pack in hundreds of millions of haem molecules.4

Erythrocytes do not contain DNA and cannot synthesise RNA. Their lifespan is limited
due to their restricted repair capabilities. Erythrocytes have a lifespan of approximately 120
days, after which ageing cells are targeted for phagocytosis by macrophages of the
reticuloendothelial system.1,4

Blood typing categorises individuals into blood groups based on the presence or absence
of antigens on the surface of their erythrocytes. For more information, see the Geeky
Medics guide to the ABO and Rh blood group systems.

White blood cells

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White blood cells, or leukocytes, are immune cells found in the blood. Using cell lineage,
leukocytes can be classified as myeloid or lymphoid cells. Myeloid cells include neutrophils,
monocytes, eosinophils, mast cells, and basophils. Lymphoid cells, or lymphocytes, include T
cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells.

Neutrophils are the most numerous of the leukocytes. They have a multilobed nucleus and
are key in the acute phase of infections, particularly bacterial infections. They can function
as phagocytes at sites of inflammation.

Lymphocytes are the most common agranular leukocyte. B cells produce circulating
antibodies, T cells go on to become cytotoxic, helper or suppressor cell-mediated immune
cells, and NK cells eradicate virus-infected cells.

Monocytes are a diverse group of myeloid cells. They can migrate to tissues, where they can
differentiate into macrophages and phagocytose potential pathogens. There are specialised
names for macrophages groups found in certain tissues, such as Kupffer cells of the liver,
or microglia of the central nervous system.

Eosinophils are granular leukocytes that act as mediators of allergic responses, and
participate in immune responses, particularly against parasitic infections.

Basophils are the least common type of granulocyte and are responsible for inflammatory
reactions during immune responses. They also function in allergic reactions.2

For a comprehensive breakdown of leukocytes, see the Geeky Medics article on the immune
response.

Clinical relevance: hyperviscosity syndrome

Increased blood viscosity translates to decreased blood flow, which can cause decreased
microvascular circulation and tissue hypoperfusion. Patients with hyperviscosity syndrome
can present with the triad of visual changes (due to retinopathy), mucosal bleeding, and
neurological symptoms ranging from headache to seizures and coma.

Short-term treatment can include supportive therapy with fluids, elective phlebotomy, and
plasma exchange or plasmapheresis. The definitive treatment involves treating the
underlying cause of the hyperviscosity.5

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Plasma
Plasma is the liquid portion of blood, making up approximately 55-60% of blood by
volume. It tends to be clear to straw yellow in colour.

Plasma is mostly water, but also contains:6

Amino acids
Electrolytes
Gases
Nitrogenous waste
Nutrients: including glucose and fat particles
Proteins: including albumin, globulins, enzymes, clotting factors like fibrinogen, and
hormones

Platelets
Platelets, or thrombocytes, are cell fragments that circulate until removed by the spleen, or
are recruited to a site of injury and activated to participate in the clotting process.

Platelets also play a role in immunity, directly interacting with antibodies as well as secreting
proinflammatory and procoagulant mediators to connect the adaptive and innate immune
responses.7

Key points
Blood has four main components: red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, and
platelets.
Changes to the normal ratio of blood components can signal a pathological process.

Editor

Dr Chris Jefferies

References
1. American Society of Hematology. Blood basics. Published in 2021. Available from:
[LINK].
2. JT Hansen. Netter’s clinical anatomy. Published in 2021. ISBN: 9780323826624
3. L Dean. Blood groups and red cell antigens. Published in 2005. Available from: [LINK].

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 4. L Barbalato, LS Pillarisetty. Histology, red blood cell. Published in 2021. Available from:
[LINK].
5. AP Rogers, M Estes. Hyperviscosity syndrome. Published in 2021. Available from:
[LINK].
6. J Mathew, P Sankar, M Varacallo. Physiology, blood plasma. Published in 2021.
Available from: [LINK].
7. RA Ali, LM Wuescher, RG Worth. Platelets: essential components of the immune
system. Published in 2016. Available from: [LINK].

Image references

1. KnuteKnudsen at English Wikipedia. Blood centrifugation scheme. Licence: [CC BY

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