Plasma

Question 1

What is plasma?

Answer 1

Liquid component of blood

Question 2

What is the buffy coat?

Answer 2

Consists of leukocytes and platelets ≅1% of blood

Question 3

What is serum?

Answer 3

Plasma minus the clotting factors

Blood taken into tube without anticoagulant —> allowed to clot and then centrifuged

Question 4

What do serum separator tubes have?

Answer 4

Silica coating —> induces clotting

Layer of gel forming a physical barrier between cells and serum

Question 5

Which is quicker to prepare plasma or serum?

Answer 5

Plasma but serum is a cleanser sample

Question 6

What are our 4 main fluid compartments?

Answer 6

Intracellular

Interstitial fluid

Transcellular fluid

Plasma

Question 7

What are the functions of plasma?

Answer 7

Clotting

Immune defence

Osmotic pressure maintenance

Metabolism

Endocrine

Excretion

Question 8

What is plasmas function in clotting?

Answer 8

CF and VWFs

Question 9

What is plasmas function in immune defence?

Answer 9

Antibodies and compliment factors are found in plasma

Question 10

What is plasmas function in I osmotic pressure maintenance?

Answer 10

Proteins such albumin help maintain colloidal osmotic pressure

Question 11

What is plasmas role in metabolism?

Answer 11

Nutrients such as glucose, amino acids and vitamins are transported in the plasma

Question 12

What is plasmas role in endocrine?

Answer 12

Many hormones are soluble in plasma and following release into the blood travel to their target organs

Question 13

What is plasmas role in excretion?

Answer 13

Waste products of cell metabolism such as urea are transported via the plasma fraction of the blood to the kidneys fro removal

Question 14

What are the 2 main types of plasma proteins?

Answer 14

Serum albumin

Globulins
- alpha 1
- alpha 2
- beta 1
- beta 2
- gamma

Question 15

Where is serum albumin produced?

Answer 15

Liver

Question 16

What are some key functions of serum albumin?

Answer 16

Transport of lipids, hormones and ions

Main thing osmotic pressure of plasma

Question 17

Where are alpha 1 globulins produced?

Answer 17

Liver

Question 18

What do alpha 1 globulins do?

Answer 18

Inhibit proteases

Protects tissues from variety of enzymes —> neutrophil elastase which is released by neutrophils during inflammation

Question 19

What does a defective or deficient alpha-1-antitrypsin cause?

Answer 19

Compromise the lung —> degradation of lung tissue leads to a loss of elasticity and respiratory problems

Question 20

Whats does the alpha 2 globulin, haptoglobin do?

Answer 20

Binds to haemoglobin released from erythrocytes —> resulting haptoglobin-Haemoglobin complex removed by spleen

Question 21

What does measuring levels of haptoglobin inform us of?

Answer 21

Haemolytic anaemia

Question 22

What does the alpha 2 globulin, macroglobulin do?

Answer 22

Broadly active protease inhibitor —> inactivate fibrinolysis

Question 23

Where is the beta globulin transferrin generated?

Answer 23

Liver

Question 24

What does transferrin do?

Answer 24

Role in transportation of iron

Question 25

Two examples of beta globulins

Answer 25

Compliment proteins C3 and C4 Transferrin

Question 26

Two examples of gamma globulins

Answer 26

Immunoglobulins C-reactive protein

Question 27

What does an increase in the relative amount of gamma globulins indicate?

Answer 27

Infection or myeloma

Question 28

What electrolytes are found in plasma?

Answer 28

Na+ K+ Ca2+ Mg2+ Cl-

Question 29

How is plasma used for biomarkers?

Answer 29

Plasma and serum provide an easy to obtain clinical specimen —> can be subjected to lab tests for diagnostic purposes Elevated levels of some key molecules —> biomarker for disease

Question 30

How is plasma used in passive immunotherapy?

Answer 30

Immunoglobulins found in the gamma globulin fraction can be used to transfer immunity from one individual to another

Question 31

How can plasma be a potential COVID-19 therapeutic?

Answer 31

Patients infected w/ SARS-CoV-2 develop antibodies against the virus After patients has recovered —> blood donated to obtain antibody-rich plasma Plasma tested for strength and number of antibodies If levels are fine —> plasma given to patient infected with COVID-19