Blood: Definition, Functions, and Components
Blood
Blood is a fluid connective tissue. It moves continuously throughout the body, enabling continuous contact with tissues that are far apart. About 7% of a 72 kg man’s body weight is made up of blood (5.6 litres). Women have a lower proportion, but children have a higher proportion (which steadily declines until it reaches the adult level).
Functions of the Blood
1. The blood’s primary role is to preserve intracellular homeostasis through:
a). transports oxygen and nutrition to the cells, including vitamins, lipids, glucose, and amino acids.
b) Transports CO2 and other waste products (nucleic acid, creatine, and nitrates) out of the cell.
2. Facilitating intercellular communication within the body by transporting hormones to the intended organs, which are released by endocrine glands.
3. Defense and protection: it enables the movement of immune proteins and cells to the locations where they are needed.
4. The clotting cascade is a self-healing process.
Blood Components
Two components make up blood:
1. The plasma; The non-living extracellular matrix makes up roughly 55% of the volume of blood.
2. Living cells, or formed elements, make up roughly 45% of the amount of blood.
By spinning, the two frictions of blood can be separated.
The plasma
The components of plasma include:
1. Water (90-92%)
2. Plasma proteins: comprise approximately 7% of plasma.
Normal plasma osmotic pressure is maintained by albumins, which make up around 60% of total plasma protein. Additionally, some medications, steroid hormones, and free fatty acids are transported by albumins.
Globins serve primarily as antibodies (immunoglobulins), transporters of some hormones, and carriers of mineral salts (for example, transferrin transports the mineral iron, and thyroglobulin transports the hormone thyroxin).
Additionally, clotting factors and several proteolytic enzymes (such as trypsin activities are inhibited by macroglobulin) are inhibited. These are the ones that cause blood to coagulate.
3. Electrolytes, or inorganic salts, such as calcium, sodium, and potassium, are in charge of nerve impulse transmission, muscular contraction, etc.
4. Nutrients: glycerol, glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids.
5. Waste products that are transported to the kidney for elimination include urea, creatinine, and uric acid.
6. Gasses and hormones