Ever wondered what blood plasma is? What are its functions? BINGO!🤭

– Blood plasma is a vital component of blood that performs many roles in the body.

– Here are some of the main points you should know about blood plasma:

• Blood plasma is the liquid part of blood that makes up about 55% of total blood volume. It is mostly water (92%), but also contains proteins (7%), electrolytes, hormones, antibodies, and other substances.

– Blood plasma has several functions, such as:

🔅 Coagulation

– Blood plasma contains clotting factors, such as fibrinogen, thrombin, and factor X, that help to stop bleeding and heal wounds.

🔅 Immunity

– Blood plasma contains immunoglobulins, such as antibodies, that help to fight off infections and diseases.

🔅 Blood pressure and volume maintenance

– Blood plasma contains albumin, a protein that helps to maintain the balance of fluid and pressure in the blood vessels.

🔅 pH balance

– Blood plasma contains buffers, such as bicarbonate, that help to maintain the acidity or alkalinity of the blood within a normal range.

🔅 Transportation

– Blood plasma helps to transport nutrients, waste products, hormones, and other substances throughout the body.

🔅 Body temperature regulation

– Blood plasma helps to regulate body temperature by balancing heat loss and heat gain.

🔅 Blood plasma can be donated to help people who need it for various reasons, such as:

1) Trauma: People who lose a lot of blood due to injuries or surgery may need plasma transfusions to replace the lost fluid and clotting factors.

2) Hemophilia: People who have hemophilia, a genetic disorder that prevents their blood from clotting properly, may need plasma transfusions to provide them with the missing clotting factors.

3) Immune deficiency: People who have immune deficiency, a condition that weakens their immune system and makes them more prone to infections, may need plasma transfusions to provide them with the missing antibodies.

4) Liver disease: People who have liver disease, a condition that affects the production and function of proteins and clotting factors in the blood, may need plasma transfusions to correct the imbalance.

– To donate blood plasma, you need to meet certain eligibility criteria, such as being healthy, weighing at least 50 kg (110 lbs), and being between 18 and 69 years old. You also need to pass a screening test for infectious diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis.

– The donation process involves drawing blood from your arm using a sterile needle and separating the plasma from the other blood components using a machine called a centrifuge. The plasma is then collected in a bag and stored for future use. The other blood components are returned to your body through the same needle. The whole process takes about an hour and you can donate plasma up to twice a week.