PSL201Y1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: Bone Marrow, Carbonic Anhydrase, Pernicious Anemia
Document Summary
15. 1 overview of the composition of blood: the hematocrit. Normal volume of blood in healthy adult = 5. 5l: 3l plasma, 2. 5l erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets. Hematocrit (hct): fractional contribution of erythrocytes to blood, determined by centrifuging sample blood in test tube. Normal hct for men = 42-52% (erythrocytes); for women = 37-47% Polycythemia: high hct, high concentration of erythrocytes in blood, normally in response to low-oxygen environments (ex. high altitudes) Plasma is an aqueous solution of dissolved solutes like proteins, small nutrients (glucose, lipids, amino acids), waste products, gases, and electrolytes (na, k, cl). This composition is similar to interstitial fluid (other than the proteins) b/c of permeability of capillary walls (which separate the 2) to small solutes. Albumins: synthesized by liver, most abundant, contribute largely to osmotic pressure of plasma. Globulins: proteins that transport lipids, critical for blood clotting and defense against foreign substances. Fibrinogens: synthesized by liver, key for blood clotting: serum: plasma w/o fibrinogen and clotting proteins.
