CHAPTER 11: BLOOD

11.1 Functions of Blood

Blood as the essence of life
Noble blue bloods
Anger causes blood to boil
Fear causes blood to curdle
Blood Maintains Homeostasis:
1. Transport of gases, nutrients, and waste products
2. Transport of processes molecules
3. Transport of regulatory molecules
4. Regulation of pH and osmosis
5. Maintenance of body temperature
6. Protection against foreign substances
7. Clot formation
11.2 Composition of Blood
Blood type of connective tissue
- Consists of a liquid matrix containing cells and cell fragments
Plasma liquid matrix (> total blood volume)
Formed elements cells and cell fragments (slightly < total blood volume)
Total Blood Volume (average adult)
- 4-5 L (females)
- 5-6 L (males)
Blood: 8% of total body weight
11.3 Plasma
Plasma pale yellow fluid
- 91% water
- 7% proteins (dissolved)
58% Albumins
Contributes to osmotic pressure (primary: sodium chloride)
Water balance: determined by movement of water into and out of blood by
osmosis
Transport molecules (bind to molecules e.g. hormones)
38% Globulins
Anitbodies and complement: part of the immune system
Transport molecules (bind to molecules e.g. hormones)
Clotting factors
4% Fibrinogen
Clotting factor
Converted to fibrin (threadlike protein that forms blood clots)
Serum plasma without the clotting factors
- 2% other components
Ions
Nutrients
Waste products
Regulatory substances
Plasma volume and composition remains relatively constant
- Water intake (digestive tract) matches water loss (kidneys, lungs, digestive tract,
skin)
- Oxygen enters blood (lungs) and carbon dioxide enters blood (tissues)
- Concentration of other suspended or dissolved substances maintained and regulated
(liver, kidneys, intestines, endocrine glands, immune tissues, lymph nodes, spleen)
11.4 Formed Elements
95% Red Blood Cells (RBCs or erythrocytes)

- 700 times more numerous than WBCs

- 17 times more numerous than platelets
5% White Blood Cells (WBCs or leukocytes) and Platelets (thrombocytes)
- 60%-70% Neutrophils
- 20% - 25% Lymphocytes
- 3% - 8% Monocytes
- 2% - 4% Eosinophils
- 0.5% - 1% Basophils
Production of Formed Elements
Hematopoiesis process of blood cell production
- Fetus: occurs in several tissues
- After birth: confined primarily to red bone marrow
- Some WBCs produced in lymphatic tissues
Stem Cells (hematocytoblasts)
- Single population of cells from which all formed elements are derived
- Differentiate to give rise to different cell lines
- Cell line
Ends with formation of a particular formed element
Development is regulated by specific growth factors
Determine types of formed elements derived from stem cells
How many formed elements produced
Red Blood Cells
Features:
Disk-shaped
Edges thicker than the center of the cell
Biconcave shape increases surface area
- Easier transport of gases
- Easier bending or folding to fit within blood vessels
Development
- Lose their nuclei and most of organelles
- Consequently unable to divide
Live for about:
- 120 days (males)
- 110 days (females)
Hemoglobin
- 1/3 of RBC volume
- Responsible for red cell color
Function:
Transport oxygen from the lungs to various tissues
Transport carbon dioxide form tissues to the lungs
- Hemoglobin (4 protein chains, 4 heme groups)
- Globin each protein is bound to one heme
- Heme red-pigmented molecule; each contains one iron atom
- Iron atom bind to an oxygen molecule
*Hemoglobin picks up oxygen in lungs and releases it in other tissues
*Hemoglobin bound to oxygen: bright red
*Hemoglobin wihtout bound oxygen: darker red
*2/3 of bodys iron found in hemoglobin
Responsible for 98.5% of oxygen transported in blood
Remaining 1.5% is transported in dissolved plasma