Blood Flashcards
What are the four main components of blood?
Plasma
Platelets
Red blood cells
White blood cells
What is 1dm3 in cm3
1000 cm3
What are platelets?
Small fragments of cells that help blood to clot.
What is the function of platelets when you damage a blood vessel?
When you damage a blood vessel, platelets clump to “plug” the damaged area (blood clotting).
What is fibrin?
Its a mesh of proteins that holds together platelets in a clot.
What is plasma?
Pale yellow liquid that transports
- red, white blood cells and platelets
- digested food products from gut to body cells
- CO2 from body cells to lungs
- urea from liver to kidney
- hormones
- heat energy
What is the function of plasma?
Its the transport system within the blood.
It transports -
- red, white blood cells and platelets
- digested food products from gut to body cells
- CO2 from body cells to lungs
- urea from liver to kidney
- hormones
- heat energy
What is the use of blood clotting?
Blood clots prevent microorganisms entering the wound.
What are the two types of white blood cells?
Phagocytes and lymphocytes
What do phagocytes do?
They detect things that are foreign to the body - pathogens. They engulf and digest them.
What are pathogens?
Microorganisms that cause disease.
What do lymphocytes do?
They produce antibodies.
