Composition and Function of Blood Components
Uploaded by
Prakash Kumar NayakComposition and Function of Blood Components
Uploaded by
Prakash Kumar NayakComposition and function of
blood components
• Blood – the specialized fluid tissue of the transport system
• Specific gravity = 1.05 – 1.06
• Volume = 5 – 6 L (about 8% or 50 – 80 ml/kg of the total body weight)
• 5.0 to 6.0 L in men and 4.5 to 5.5 L in women
• Plasma - Comprises mostly of water (93%), with the remaining 7%
being various dissolved solutes (6% organic substances and 1%
inorganic substances)
• A sample of blood prevented from clotting (by adding an anticoagulant)
and allowed to settle
• Plasma – 55%
• Red cells/ Packed Cell Volume (PCV) – 45%
• Centrifugation of anticoagulated blood at 3,000 × g for about 5 minutes
• upper plasma layer
• lower red blood cell layer
• thin interface, called Buffy coat, containing white blood cells and
platelets
• If blood is allowed to clot and the clot removed, the remaining fluid –
Serum
• Similar to plasma without fibrinogen and clotting factors
Plasma
• Almost clear, straw-coloured fluid
• Water – 90%
• Solids – mostly proteins (7 g/100 ml) – formed chiefly in liver
• Albumin (4 g/100 ml)
• Globulin (2.7 g/100 ml)
• Fibrinogen (0.3 g/100 ml)
• Albumin (4 g/100 ml)
• Principal protein responsible for exerting osmotic pressure (25 mm Hg)
across the capillary wall (the oncotic pressure)
• Regulates interstitial fluid volume
• Carrier functions
• Globulins (2.7 g/100 ml)
• Separated into α1, α2, β and γ globulins
• Majority of γ globulins – immunoglobulins
• α, β globulins – carrier proteins for vitamins, hormones, metals (iron) &
drugs
• Fibrinogen (0.3 g/100 ml)
• Precursor of fibrin – forms framework of blood clot
• Regulatory & protective proteins
• Hormones – chemical messengers from endocrine glands
• Antibodies – immunity reactions
• Enzymes
• Inorganic substances (0.9%)
• Sodium, chloride, copper, calcium, magnesium, potassium, lead,
bicarbonate, iodine, iron
• Organic substances
• Waste materials (urea, uric acid, bilirubin, creatinine, ammonia)
• Products of tissue activity being transported to kidneys (& skin)
for excretion
• Nutritive materials ( amino acids, glucose, fats, cholesterol)
• Foodstuffs in solution absorbed from gut going to tissues for
utilization & storage
• Respiratory gases – oxygen & carbon dioxide
• Cells (45%)
• Heavier than plasma, sink to bottom of sample
• White Blood Cells (4 – 11 thousand/cmm) – defence against
bacteria
• Red Blood Cells (4.8 – 8.4 million/cmm) – transport of O2 and CO2
• Platelets (1.5-4.0 lac/cmm) – important for normal clotting
Formed elements of blood
Scanning
electron micrograph Blood smear
White Blood Cells
• Granulocytes
• Neutrophil
• Eosinophil
• Basophil
• Agranulocytes
• Monocyte
• Lymphocyte
Appearance Of WBCs In Stained Blood Film
Cell type Diameter Nucleus Cytoplasm Cytoplasmic granules
(µm)
Neutrophil 10-14 •Blue-violet Eosinophilic •Fine
•2-6 lobes, connected •Violet-pink
by chromatin threads •Ground-glass appearance
Eosinophil 10-15 •Blue-violet Eosinophilic •Coarse
•2-3 lobes, •Brick red
often bi-lobed
Basophil 10-15 •Blue-violet Basophilic •large, coarse
•Irregular shape •Deep blue
•Margins not clearly •Completely fill the cell,
seen cover the nucleus
Granulocytes
EOSINOPHIL
NEUTROPHIL BASOPHIL
Cell type Diameter Nucleus Cytoplasm Cytoplasmic
(µm) granules
Monocyte 12-20 •Violet Blue •Absent
•Single
•Horse-shoe shaped/
indented/ oval/ round
Lymphocyte 7-9 (small) •Violet Blue •Absent
10-15 (large) •Single
•Oval/round
Agranulocytes
LYMPHOCYTE MONOCYTE
Normal Values for the WBCs in Human Blood
Cell Cells/L Normal % of Total
(average) Range White Cells
Total WBCs 9000 4000–11,000 ...
Granulocytes
Neutrophils 5400 3000–6000 50–70
Eosinophils 275 150–300 1–4
Basophils 35 0–100 0.4
Agranulocytes
Lymphocytes 2750 1500–4000 20–40
Monocytes 540 300–600 2–8
Normal Values in Human Blood
Cell Cells/L Normal Range % of Total WBCs
Total WBC 9000 4000–11,000 ...
Granulocytes
Neutrophils 5400 3000–6000 50–70
Eosinophils 275 150–300 1–4
Basophils 35 0–100 0.4
Lymphocytes 2750 1500–4000 20–40
Monocytes 540 300–600 2–8
Erythrocytes
Females 4.8 x 106 ... ...
