Blood Physiology Flashcards
Describe how blood maintains homeostasis
Blood equilibrateswith theinterstitialfluid through the capillaries to maintain normal cell functions
Describe the color of blood.
Venous blood (taken in most blood samples) is dark red (poor oxygen)
Arterial blood is scarlet red (oxygen rich)
What is the pH range of blood?
It is slightly alkaline, with a pH between 7.35 and 7.45
Blood volume in healthy adults
Males: 5–6 liters
Females: 4–5 liters
What are the three main functions of blood?
- Transportation
- Regulation
- Protection
What does the blood transport?
- Oxygen from the lungs to the body cells
- Nutrients from the digestive system to the body cells
- Metabolic waste from body cells to elimination sites (CO2 –> lungs, Nitrogenous waste –> kidneys)
- Hormones and vitamins to target organs
How does the blood regulate proper functioning of body cells?
- Maintains body pH by acting as a buffer
- Maintaining adequate fluid volume
- Maintaining body temperature by absorbing and distributing heat
How does blood help protect the body?
- Prevents blood loss using platelets and clotting factors
- Prevents infection using WBCs, antibodies and complement proteins
What are the components of blood and their relative volumes?
Plasma
Formed elements = RBCs, leukocytes, platelets
What is the hematocrit value/packed cell volume?
Hematocrit level is simply the percentage of red cells in your blood. Normally around 45%
What conditions are associated with an abnormal hematocrit value?
Compare plasma and serum
Plasma = yellow liquid component of blood with anti-coagulants
Serum = yellow liquid component of blood without anticoagulants
In serum, the blood sample clots, consuming all the clotting factors in the plasma (fibrinogen)
