Plasma

Question 1

What are the 3 components of blood and what percentage do they make up?

Answer 1

Plasma- 55%
Red cells- 45%
Buffy coat- 1%

Question 2

What does the buffy coat consist of?

Answer 2

Leukocytes and platelets

Question 3

What is serum?

Answer 3

Plasma without clotting factors

Question 4

How is serum obtained?

Answer 4

Blood is taken into a tube without an anticoagulant, allowed to clot and then centrifuged.

Question 5

What 2 things do SSTs (silicone separator tubes) contain and why?

Answer 5

A silica coating which induces clotting

A layer of gel forming a physical barrier between cells and serum

Question 6

What percentage of our fluid is intracellular and extracellular?

Answer 6

Intracellular 55%
Extracellular 45%

Question 7

What are the 3 types of extracellular fluid and what percentage of our total fluid do they make up?

Answer 7

Interstitial fluid- 36%
Plasma- 7%
Transcellular fluid- 2%

Question 8

What are the 6 functions of plasma?

Answer 8

Clotting
Immune Defence
Osmotic pressure maintenance
Metabolism
Endocrine
Exocrine

Question 9

Why is plasma important in clotting?

Answer 9

Clotting factors and von Willebrand factors are found in it

Question 10

Why is plasma important in immune defence?

Answer 10

Antibodies and complement proteins are found in plasma

Question 11

Why is plasma importance in metabolism?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Why is plasma important in maintaining osmotic pressure ?

Answer 12

Proteins in plasma such as albumin help to maintain colloidal osmotic pressure

Question 13

Why is plasma important in endocrine function?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Why is plasma important in exocrine function?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

What percentage of plasma is make up from proteins?

Answer 15

7%

Question 16

What are the 2 types of proteins in plasma?

Answer 16

Serum albumin and globulins

Question 17

How can they be analysed

Answer 17

Electrophoresis

Question 18

What percentage of total plasma proteins are made up from serum albumin?

Answer 18

55%

Question 19

Where is serum albumin produced?

Answer 19

The liver

Question 20

What are 2 functions of serum albumin?

Answer 20

Transport of lipids hormones and ions
Maintaining osmotic pressure of plasma

Question 21

What is the role serum albumin plays in lipid absorptions/digestion etc (detailed)?

Answer 21

Fatty acids released by lipolysis from the breakdown of triglycerides in adipose tissue (body fat) are transported by albumin for use by tissues in 𝛃-oxidation.

Question 22

What percentage of total plasma proteins are made up of globulins?

Answer 22

35%

Question 23

What are the 3 types of globulins?

Answer 23

Alpha, beta, and gamma

Question 24

Name an alpha-1 globulin.

Answer 24

alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT)

Question 25

Where is alpha globulin, alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT) produced?

Answer 25

The liver

Question 26

What type of enzyme does A1AT play a role in inhibiting?

Answer 26

Proteases

Question 27

A1AT protects tissues from a variety of enzymes, name one and where it is produced?

Answer 27

Neutrophil elastase, released by neutrophils during inflammation

Question 28

What can happen to people with A1AT deficiency?

Answer 28

Degradation of lung tissue, which leads to loss of elasticity and respiratory problems. More vulnerable to inhaled pollutants e.g. smoke, dust.

Question 29

Name an alpha-2 globulin.

Answer 29

Haptoglobin

Question 30

What does haptoglobin bind to, and where is the thing they bind to released from, and what does it form?

Answer 30

Haptoglobin binds to haemoglobin released from erythrocytes resulting in a haptoglobin-haemoglobin complex

Question 31

What removes the haptoglobin-haemoglobin complex?

Answer 31

The spleen

Question 32

What can measuring haptoglobin levels help diagnose?

Answer 32

Haemolytic anaemia

Question 33

Name another alpha-2 globulin?

Answer 33

𝛂2 -macroglobulin

Question 34

What type of enzyme does 𝛂2 -macroglobulin inhibit?

Answer 34

Proteases

Question 35

What function does 𝛂2 -macroglobulin inactivate?

Answer 35

Fibrinolysis

Question 36

Name a beta globulin.

Answer 36

Transferrin

Question 37

Where is transferrin produced?

Answer 37

The liver

Question 38

What does transferrin do?

Answer 38

Transports dietary iron and iron released from ferritin stores

Question 39

Name 2 gamma globulins

Answer 39

Immunoglobulins and c-reactive protein

Question 40

What is the diagnostic use of gamma globulins?

Answer 40

Increases in the relative amounts of the gamma fraction of globulins can indicate infection or myeloma.

Question 41

What percentage of plasma is made up of electrolytes?

Answer 41

1%

Question 42

What are the 5 ions in plasma?

Answer 42

Na+ Ca2+ Mg2+ Cl- K+

Question 43

Which ions is found 30 times lower in RBCs than plasma?

Answer 43

Na+

Question 44

Which ion is found 30 times lower in plasma than RBCs?

Answer 44

K+

Question 45

How is positive charge from intracellular potassium balanced?

Answer 45

Mainly by extracellular Cl-, but also by intracellular anions, such as proteins

Question 46

Why is intracellular Mg2+ important for enzymes?

Answer 46

It is a cofactor for many enzymes

Question 47

More than one third of ATP at rest is used to power what?

Answer 47

Na+-K+-ATPase (pump)

Question 48

Why is Na+-K+-ATPase (pump) important?

Answer 48

Maintains gradient of Na+ and K+, which is key to the functioning of electrically excitable cells

Question 49

When ATP levels are depleted, what happens to cell volume and why?

Answer 49

Cells become more spherical because of the inward movement of Na+ and water. 

Question 50

How can plasma be used in passive immunotherapy?

Answer 50

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

Question 51

What is a passive immunotherapy called?

Answer 51

Intravenous Immunoglobulin G (IVIG)

Question 52

Hyperimmune globulin

Answer 52

Donors screened for high levels of IgG against a particular pathogen The IgG fraction is isolated from plasma of donor and concentrated

Question 53

When is hyperimmune globulin given?

Answer 53

After high-risk exposure to pathogen

Question 54

Describe how convalescent plasma was used for Covid-19? | [](http://)[](http://)

Answer 54

1. Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, develop antibodies against virus. 2. After patient recovered (convalesced), blood donated to obtain antibody-rich plasma. 3. Plasma tested for strength (affinity) and number of antibodies. 4. If these levels are good, plasma given to patient infected with COVID-19.