Blood
By:Adriana Uelman
Overall Blood characteristics
Blood Components
-Red Blood Cells: 45% of whole blood
-White Blood Cells: <1% of whole blood
-Platelets:<1% of whole blood
-Plasma: 55% of whole blood
How much blood is in our body?
-Adults weighing from 150-180 pounds: 4.7-5.5 liters
-Children weighing 80 pounds: have half the amount of blood of adults
Where is blood produced in the body?
What controls the production of blood in the body?
Plasma
Characteristics
-considered 4th state of matter
Function of Plasma
Donating Plasma
-A needle gets placed into your arm and blood gets drawn out and then gets put into a spinning device that separates the plasma from the blood.
Red Blood Cells
Characteristics
Function
What is a Hematocrit test
Importance of Hemoglobin
Anemia: condition in which the blood doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells
Hemolytic anemia: red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the blood stream before normal life span
Hemorrhagic anemia: resulting directly from loss of blood
Sickle cell anemia: A group of disorders that cause red blood cells to become misshapen and break down
Pernicious anemia: decrease in red blood cells because the body cant absorb vitamin B-12
Polycythemia
Causes: acquired genetic mutations
Treatments: treatment depends on the cause
Process of donating blood
Step 1 Registration
- Present your photo ID Card
- Read information sheet about donating blood.
Step 2 Donor Health History and Mini Physical
- Provide basic demographic and health information
- Answer questions about past and present health history (information is kept private)
- Undergo mini exam to determine if you are able to donate (temperature, blood pressure, heart rate). Give blood drop to determine hemoglobin level.
Step 3 Hydration Station
- Drink water or other beverage prior to your donation. The more hydrated you are, the faster your donation will be and the better you’ll feel afterwards
Step 4 Donation
- Sit in one of the specialized comfy donor “lounge chairs”
- Answer a few questions from a staff member
- Once the needle is in place, it usually takes less than 10 minutes to draw a unit (about a pint) of blood. You’ll squeeze a ball to keep the blood flowing while you read, relax or chat with one of then nurses
- Finish your donation, after which the needle will be removed and a bandage applied
Step 5 Visit the Canteen
- Sit, relax and have a snack and drink
Step 6 After Donation
- Avoid strenuous physical activity or heavy lifting for a few hours. If you feel light-headed, lie down until feeling better.
http://www.bloodcenters.org/blood-donation/donating-blood-step-by-step/
White blood cells
Characteristics
Function
Involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders
5 types of white blood cells
- Neutrophil
- Lymphocytes
- Monocytes
- Eosinophils
- Basophils
Conditions
Leukemia: cancer of the body's blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system.
Mononucleosis: Often called mono or kissing disease, an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus
Multiple myeloma: With this condition, a group of plasma cells becomes cancerous and multiplies.
Platelets
Characteristics
Function
Events during homeostasis
Events:
-vessels constrict to reduce blood flow
-platelets stick to the vessel wall around the injury
-enzymatic reactions occur involving coagulating proteins
-fibrin is then produced to form a hemostatic plug
Hemophilia
-could become severe even from a slight cut
Treatments:
-clotting factor concentration is made from human blood and blood is treated to prevent the spread
-recombinant clotting factor which is not made from human blood and also is mostly given to children
Blood thinners
Heparin:Prevents clots in the blood vessels before or after surgery
Aspirin:Treats pain, fever, arthritis, and inflammation.