BLOOD
BY
ALEXANDRA BROWN
THE COMPOSITION OF
BLOOD
Blood consists of two main components.
1. Plasma, a clear extracellular fluid
2. Formed elements which are erythrocytes, leukocytes and
platelets.
BLOOD PLASMA
CONSISTS OF
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Proteins
Enzymes
Nutrients
Wastes
Hormones
Oxygen
Carbon Dioxide
Electrolytes
Salts
lipids
DONATED BLOOD
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The main Blood products donated are :
Red Blood cells
Platelets
White Blood Cells
Plasma
Cryoprecipitate
Factor VIII And Monofix
HOW BLOOD PARTS ARE
SEPARATED
Blood fractionation is the process of
fractionating whole blood, or separating it
into its component parts. This is typically
done by centrifuging the blood.
A centrifuge is an apparatus that rotates
containers at high speeds, creating centrifugal
forces. This separates the blood
into its different components
since blood is a mixture
made up of different densities
THE USES OF EXTRACTED
PARTS OF BLOOD
• Red Cell Concentrate: Contains about
twice as many red blood cells as normal.
It is used to boost the oxygen-carrying
capacity of patients with anemia or after
serious blood loss.
• Platelet Concentrate: Given to patients who need extra bloodclotting capability, such as leukemia sufferers or after severe
blood loss.
• White Cell Concentrate: given to patients needing a boost to
their immune system, perhaps after severe infection.
• Plasma: Given in emergency to boost the volume of blood
after severe blood loss.
THE USES OF EXTRACTED
PARTS OF BLOOD (CONT.)
• Cryoprecipitate: A fraction collected from
plasma containing blood-clotting factors
given to people suffering severe bleeding.
• Factor VIII and Monofix: Extracts from
plasma used to treat people with
haemophilia, an incurable disorder where
the blood will not clot properly.
ARTIFICIAL BLOOD
One of the areas of current research is Haemoglobin-Based
Oxygen Carriers
• Haemoglobin extracted from animal blood can be purified and
treated so that it is disease-free and cannot cause any allergic
or rejection responses in patients.
• The products can be stored for years at room temperature, and
promise to be highly effective at carrying oxygen and releasing
it into the tissues.
• Haemoglobin-Based oxygen carriers are currently undergoing
clinical trials, but have not yet been approved for medical use.
Recent trials failed.
ARTIFICIAL BLOOD
Another area of research is Perfluorocarbon-Based Substitutes.
• An area of research that aims to develop a truly artificial blood
substitute.
• Perfluorocarbon compunds are the most promising base
chemicals. They can carry upto 5 times more oxygen than
blood can and can be stored at room temperature indefinatly.
• Perfluorocarbon-based substitutes are made totally sterile and
disease free.
THE NEED FOR ARTIFICIAL
BLOOD
Fresh blood cannot be stored for very long, and many parts of
the world lack the money to afford necessary storage facilities.
Artificial blood can be stored for longer periods of time e.g 2-3
years compared to 3 weeks for human blood, and does not need
to be refrigerated.
Currently we have to rely on people to donate blood so that all
the different components can be extracted, and there are often
times when donated blood is in short supply, such as in war time
or natural disaster. If artificial blood were available, there would
be no problem in supply when the need arose.
THE NEED FOR ARTIFICIAL
BLOOD (CONT.)
Artificial blood is needed because many blood products can set
off immune-responses in long term patients, even after correct
blood-typing. This is similar to rejection of a transplanted organ.
Donated blood can carry many diseases such as hepatitis or HIV
therefore many screening procedures need to have taken place
before giving it to a patient.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Keep it simple science, HSC Biology Topic 1 “Maintaining a Balance”,
www.keepitsimplescience.com.au
• Surfing, Biology, Year 12, “Maintaining a Balance”
• Blood Function and Composition,
http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/anatomy/blood-functionand-composition/30#C3, (14/11/2012)
• TalkTalk, Centrifuge,
http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0
009940.html,(18/11/2012)
• Wikipedia, Blood Fractionation,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_fractionation,(18/11/2012)