Blood Components and Their Functions

Michael Zappitella

Chemistry II

5/18/2007

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There are many things that make up every humans blood that people are not familiar

with. Each component in your blood is made up of different tissues, chemicals, and elements.

Each of these components have separate but equally important functions to keep your body

healthy and in working condition. It is important to be aware of your blood type because

certain diseases and defects can appear in your blood. This can effect child birth as well as

your personal health.

Plasma is one of the major components in your blood. Plasma is a cell free serum in

your blood that can be obtained through centrifuging. When you take a sample of blood

you place the samples in a sealed contained inside a centrifuge and turn it on. After a short

time the blood cells separate. The blood plasma appears at the top, the middle milky, foamy

layer is white blood cells, and the bottom layer is the red blood cells. It makes up 55% of

your total blood volume. Plasma itself is made up of 90% water and 10% dry matter. Nine

parts of it are organic substances whereas one part is minerals. These substances are

glucose, lipids such as cholesterol, proteins such as globulins, glycoprotein, hormones,

amino acids and vitamins. The mineral substances are dissolved into positive and negative

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ions. Plasma appears to be transparent with a straw yellowish color. It is an alkaline fluid.

Its function is to transport amino acids, water, carbon dioxide to parts of the body

and remove metabolic end products. People can receive plasma through transfusions if their

count is low. This is important to others survival if a need is presented. This is one way that

knowledge of the blood system is vital.

The next component of blood in every human anatomy is the Erythrocytes or the red

blood cells. Red blood cells are the most common cell in the body. It is made up of

hemoglobin and iron containing heme groups that temporarily bind to oxygen to transport

to the body. Oxygen is diffused though the red blood cells membrane to all bodily tissues.

The shape of the red blood cell is a biconcave shape allowing more room for the

hemoglobin. It also carries the CO2 waste products from the tissues to be disposed. The

hemoglobin in the red blood cells changes color depending on what chemical is attached to

it. When oxygen is present the cell turns scarlet red. When the oxygen is released it turns a

bluish color. Adult humans have roughly 2–3 X 10 to the thirteenth power red blood cells

at any given time (women have about 4 million to 5 million erythrocytes per cubic

microliter of blood and men about 5 million to 6 million per cubic microliter. Red blood

cells can have many defects that can effect your bodily functions. Some defects are sickle

cell anemia in which every red blood cell is a sickle shape and it makes the transportation

of oxygen more difficult therefore shutting down some bodily functions. Other red blood

cell defect shapes include berry, burr, target, oat, sickle, helmet, pinched, pointed, indented,

pinche and pointed. These cells can liuve for an average of 120 days afer their production

in the red marrow in your bones. Knowledge of your blood type and shape of your red

blood cells is vital because you can transfuse your blood to others.

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Another major component of blood in the body is the leukocytes or white blood cells.

These cells are bifar the most important cells in your body. They ensure the protection and

defense form viruses, diseases, and defects. There are actually many different types of

leukocytes that are produced from pluripotent stem cells in red bone marrow. Pluriotent

cells are cells that don’t initially have a determined type and function yet until they mature

in development. Different diseases can be determined by the count of white blood cells in

the body. For instance if there are more than the normal amount in ones blood, usually

about 4billion per liter in a normal human, you might have leukemia. If the count of white

blood cells is less than the norm, you might have leucopenia. One type of leukocyte that is

present in blood is the Neutrophil. These cells make up 50-70% of the white blood cells in

your body. These are specifically responsible for eliminating bacteria that are present in

pus wounds. They phagocyte or destroy bacteria by digesting them but are dead after they

complete the process. Another type of white blood cell is the Eosinophil. These are

responsible for attacking parasites and phagocyting antigen and antibody complexes. They

make up 2-4% of the white blood cells present. The third type of white blood cell is the

Basophil. They secrete histimine causing inflammation of the tissues when it senses an

allergic reaction to an antigen. Basophils make up .5-1% of white blood cells in body. The

fourth type of white blood cell is the Lymphocyte. These are present in blood and are in

every lymphoid organs. There are three individual types of these cells:the B cell (make

antibodies that attach to pathogens to kill them), T cells (which defend against tumors, and

viruses), and lastly Natural Killer Cells (Kill any cell that displays cancer cell or harmfully

virus characteristics). Lymphocytes make up 20-40% of total white blood cells in your

body. The fifth and final white blood cell is the Monocyte. These clean up the waste

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produced and left over by netrophyls. They also mark harmful cells so the Natural Killer

Cells can kill them.

Blood Platelets serve as yet another important component of blood. They are

responsible for helping to the clotting process in blood. Blood clotting is necessary to stop

as much blood from leaving the body as it can prevent. Blood Platelets are disc shaped and

have no cell nucleus. They too are developed in the bone marrow. They are made up of

mitochondria, RNA, and granules that are secreted when activated. These granules are

Lysosomes (digest food particles), ATP (provides molecular energy), and alpha granules

(clotting proteins). Blood platelets are activated when they are brought into contact with

collagen, thrombin, ADP, or a negatively charged surface. Once they are activated, they

release a number of coagulation factors and platelet activating factors. The platelets adhere

to receptors called integrands that form a wall to stop blood flow.

One thing that I have just learned about blood components is the Rh factor or Rhesus

Factor. The Rh is a antigen on the surface of some peoples red blood cells. It is either Rh

positive or Rh negative. This can help determine a persons specific ABO blood type. This

factor is something very important that is often overlooked when two parents have two

different Rh types. This can cause a Hemolytic disease of a newborn child. This is a

incompatibility of the Rh antigens and antibodies from the father and mother. Sometimes

the mother, at birth, can be injected with IgG antibodies to prevent the miscommunication

between the antigens. Symptoms of diseases can be Jaundice, Anemia, or difficulty

breathing. This is something preventable nowadays but it’s still vital information for nay

couple planning to have children.

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Blood is extremely important not just to ones self but to others around you. People

can possibly get into accidents or natural disasters where they might need blood

transfusions in order to save their lives. Giving blood is a common practice but is often

overlooked. There are different blood types that each person has and each blood type is

compatible with another type. Back in the 1800’s, before anything was known about blood

types or proper blood type blood transfusions, people would give animal blood to humans

and or other peoples blood that didn’t match their types. This was causing major heath

problems and diseases. Not until

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Blood Bibliography

Source 1) Tagliasacchi, Daniela. "Blood Cells." www.funsci.com. Apr. 1997. 16 May-June

2007 <http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/blood/blood.htm>.

Source 2) Alberts, Bruce. "White Blood Cells." www.wikipedi.org. 14 Apr. 2007. 18 May

2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_blood_cells>.

Source 3) "Red Blood Cells." www.wikipedi.org. 7 May 2007. 18 May 2007

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_blood_cellshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_bloo

d_cellshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_blood_cellshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red

_blood_cells>.

Source 3) "Bone Marrow." www.wikipedi.org. 18 May 2007. 18 May 2007

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_marrow>.

Source 4) "Blood Type Facts." www.bloodbook.com. 18 May 2007. 18 May 2007

<http://www.bloodbook.com/type-facts.html>.

Source 5) "Rhesus blood group system." www.wikipedia.org. 13 May 2007. 18 May 2007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rh_factor

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Blood Chemistry Outline

I. What Makes Up Your Blood?
A) Plasma
1.Chemical structure
- Blood plasma contains many vital proteins including fibrinogen, globulins
and human serum albumin.

2.Function
-It serves as transport medium for glucose, lipids, amino acids, hormones,
metabolic end products, carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2).

3.Definition

-(Source 1)Blood plasma is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood
cells are suspended.
-Blood plasma contains many vital proteins.

4.Physical description
-It is a slightly alkaline fluid with a yellowish color.
-Made up of 90% water, and 10% dry matter.
a)The dry matter is made up of 9 parts organic material, 1 part
minerals.

B) Erythrocytes (Red Blood Cells)

1.Chemical structure
-(Source 3)Hemoglobin, a complex molecule containing heme groups whose
iron atoms temporarily link to oxygen molecules in the lungs and release them
throughout the body
a)Hemoglobin makes up about 97% of red blood cells dry content and
around 35% of total content.
b)Hemoglobin releases oxygen load to muscles and the rest of the
body.
c)Mutations of hemoglobin create blood cell diseases such as sickle
cell anemia.
d) In humans the chemical formula for hemoglobin is C2952 H 4664
N812 S8 Fe4.
e) Hemoglobin can’t bind well in the presence of CO.

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2.Function
-These cells carry oxygen to bodily tissues, and recovering CO2 produced as
waste.

3.Definition
-Most common type of cell in a human body. Adult humans have roughly 2–3
13
× 10 red blood cells at any given time (women have about 4 million to 5 million
erythrocytes per cubic millimeter (micro liter) of blood and men about 5 million to 6
million.

4.Physical description
-Its shape is a biconcave lens. Some can be a sickle shape, which is a disease
(Sickle Cell Anemia), a burr, target, oat, helmet, pinched, pointed, indented, poikilocyt, etc.

C) Leukocytes (White Blood Cells)

1.Chemical structure
-White blood cells are pluripotent cells formed in the red marrow tissue in the
bones in your body.

2.Function
- White blood cells are part of the immune system which defend the body
against both infectious disease and foreign materials.

3.Definition
- White blood cells are formed in the bone marrow in large bones.

4.Physical description
-White ball shaped cell with spikes on the outside.

5.Different white blood cells and their functions

-(Source 2) Neutrophils, Eosinophils, Basophil, Lymphocyte
a)Neutrophil-They account for a large majority in white blood cells.
They form in pus to give it it’s white color.
b)Eosinophil-They are responsible for combating infection by
parasites in vertebrates. They also control mechanisms associated with allergy and asthma.
c)Basophil-These are released as a secondary defense and cause
inflammation of tissue against parasites.
d)Lymphocyte-These are natural killer cells (NK cells) that attack
tumors, and virally infected cells.

D) Platelets
1.Function
-Clotting factor in blood when tissue is cut.

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2.Definition
-They are produced in bone marrow and help clot blood to reduce bleeding.

3.Blood clotting process

- Platelets are activated when brought into contact with collagen, thrombin
ADP, and a negatively charged surface. Once activated, they release a number of different
coagulation factors and platelet activating factors. The platelets adhere to receptors called
integrands and form a wall to stop blood flow.

E) Rh Factor
-(Source 5)In some peoples blood, it is an antigen on the red blood cell that
indicate whether a blood type is negative or positive.
a)Rh positive(has Rh antigen) and Rh negative
no Rh antigen).
1.Ineritance of Rh factors
-The Rh antigen is inherited through he first chromosome with the two alleles
when Rh+ is dominant and Rh – is recessive.

II. Blood Types

(Source 4)What types of blood people can and can’t receive
Antigens, Antibodies,
How are Red and White Blood Cells Created
1.Bone Marrow
-Red, Yellow
A) Red marrow (myeloid tissue), can produce red blood cells, platelets
and white blood cells.
b) Yellow marrow’s color is due to the more fat tissue inside it.

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