BLOOD

- circulating tissue that supplies nutrients, removes wastes, and coordinates metabolismunctions
- Functions: Metabolic – nutrition, excretion, respiration and hormone transport; Physical / Chemical – maintenance of acid-base, electrolyte and water balance; Body defense – WBC, coagulation

General Composition
- Blood = plasma (50-60%) + formed elements (40-50%) - 7-8% body weight - Specific gravity: 1.035 – 1.075
- Whole blood – formed elements = plasma – clotting factors = serum - 5-6L in male, 4-5 in female - Viscosity = 5-6x water
- Plasma = 90% water, 6-8% organic solutes, 2-4% inorganic solutes - Bright red arterial and darker red venous blood - pH: 7.35-7.45

Cellular Elements
Cell Subtype Description
Erythrocytes / RBC most abundant, 40-45% of blood, 5.2M in males, 4.6M in females, no organelles, 33% hemoglobin, biconcave, flat, no nucleus, strongly flexible (reversible deformation), 120 day life span
Nucleated – granulocytes (NEB) and agranulocytes (LM), phagocytosis, 4-10K in blood, shorter life span, active glycolysis, PPP, moderate oxidative phosphorylation, rich in lysosomes, has unique enzymes
(myeloperosidase & NADPH-oxidase), CD11, CD18
Neutrophil 58%, phagocytic, polymorphonuclears (PMN), infections
Leukocytes Eosinophil 2%, allergies, parasitism
Basophil 1%, heparin, histamine
Lymphocyte 33%, B lymphocyte for antibody production, T lymphocyte for cell-mediated immunity
Monocyte 4%, large phagocytes, clean up dead neutrophils
Thrombocytes / Platelet Irregularly shaped, colorless, 150-400K in blood, from megakaryocytes, no nucleus, platelet plug, glucose as energy, glycogen during coagulation
Reticulocyte Immature RBCs, active protein synthesis, has glycerol kinase

Plasma – Straw-colored, clear, 90% water, electrolytes, metabolites, nutrients, vitamins, hormones, proteins
Plasma Protein – 7.0-7.5g/dL, major part of solids in plasma, separation via (1) salting out – use of solvents  fibrinogen, albumin, globulin; (2) Electrophoresis – albumin, α1, α2, β and γ fractions

Plasma Protein Description Abnormalities

Major plasma protein, 3.4-4.7g/dL, single polypep chain, 3 structural domains, 9 subdomains, ↓ = nephritic syndrome, hepatic cirrhosis
Albumin
osmotic effect, distribution and transport (FFAs, bilirubin, Ca, steroid hormones, W, sulfonamides, penicillin G, dicoumarol, aspirin)
Mostly conjugated, α1 or α2 based on electrophoretic mobility
α1-acid glycoprotein
High (42%) CHO content, intrchain disulfide bonds, unknown function
(orosomucoid)
α1-globulin

α1-fetoglobulin Fetal plasma and amniotic fluid, ↓ postnatally, homologous to albumin, elevate in hepatoma ↓ = hepatoma
Retinol-binding Transports retinol, equimolar complex with transthyretin (thyroxine)
protein
α-globulin

Inhibits leukocyte proteases, protects lung damage from inflammation, Emphysema (due to lack of countercheck of
α1-antitrypsin (α1
proteolytic damage), hepatic cirrhosis,
antiproteinase)
smokers
Heavenly blue, ↑ Cu, 8 Cu binding sites, ↓ = Wilson’s disease - ↑ Cu in brain and liver
Ceruloplasmin
α2-globulin

carries 90% of plasma Cu, ferroxidase (Fe2+  Fe3+), Cu+ homeostasis

¼ of α2-globulins, binds extracorpuscular Hgb noncovalently,
Haptoglobulin (Hp)
prevents Hgb loss in urine
Large, 4 identical subnits, internal cyclic thiol ester bond (Cys-Glu) = thio ester plasma CHON family,
α2 macroglobulin
Zn transport, panproteinase inhibitor, binds to cytokines and targets them
Transferrin Major component of plasma CHON (3%), transports iron, 2mol Fe / transferring, ↑ in pregnant and iron-deficients
β-globulin

Hemopexin Binds and prevents heme excretion, Fe reused in liver

C-reactive protein (CRP) Precipitates Group C polysacchs of Pneumococcus with Ca, promotes phagocytosis, <1mg/dL in adults, ↑ with acute infections Acute infections
β2-microglobulin Very small amounts, easily excreted, part of histocompatibility antigens
β-lipoprotein Fat transport, LDL has 50% total cholesterol Hypobetalipoproteinemia (↓ LDL)
γ-globulins Igs / antibodies, made by humoral immune system (B cells) with antigen stimulation ↑ = infections
Fibrinogen Becomes fibrin for hemostasis, ↑ during menstruation, pregnancy, inflammation, infection