Blood Components

Introduction
 Average individual contains 5L of blood
 55% of blood is fluid
 45% of the blood is cells
 Blood is connective tissue – all cells work
together for a common purpose
 Percentage of blood cells is measured by a
hematocrit
Hematocrit
 Plasma
 Straw-colored fluid portion of blood
 Contains :
– Proteins - glucose
– Vitamins - minerals
– O2, CO2 - Blood cells
- waste products (such as urea)
- Hormones
- Heat
 Erythrocytes (RBCs)
 Transport oxygen
 Contains hemoglobin (HGB)
 Biconcave structure (increases SA)
 No nucleus (don’t divide)
 Males 5.5 billion per ml of blood (females
4.5 billion, 8 billion in high altitudes)
Erythrocytes
 Hemoglobin
 Made of iron and proteins
 280 million molecules per RBC
 Iron portion binds to oxygen 
oxyhemoglobin (makes blood red)
 Cells deprived of O2 for > 5min start to die
 RBC life
 Produced in bone marrow and spleen
 Live about 120 days
 Are removed when old by WBCs in the
spleen
 Hemoglobin broken down into:
– Iron - recycled
– Bilirubin – bile
– Globin – protein – recycled or reused
 Leukocytes (WBCs)
(just need to know phagocytes vs. lymphocytes)

 RBCs outnumber WBCs by 700 to 1

 Two categories – granulocytes and
agranulocytes
 Produced in bone marrow
 Play a major role in immune response
 Several types
– Note: do not have to know each
individual type, just phagocytes vs.
lyphocytes
 Neutrophils
 Primary responders to
infection
 Phagocytic (eat
foreign material such
as bacteria)
 Lobulated/segmented
nucleus
 Most numerous WBC
 Lymphocytes
 Produce antibodies
 Second most
numerous WBC
 Very large, round
nucleus
 Monocytes
 Develop into
macrophages (“big
eaters”)
– phagocytic

 Large granular,
lobulated nucleus
-
 Eosinophils
 Key role in allergy and
anti-viral response
 One of least
numerous WBCs
 Red granules in
cytoplasm
 Basophil
 Least numerous WBC
 Dark granules in
cytoplasm
 Release histamines
and heparin
(anticoagulant)
 Platelets
 Cell fragments
 Key role in clotting process
 Clotting Process
 Substances released by an injured vessel
attract platelets
 Platelets rupture and release chemicals 
combine with other blood components to
produce thromboplastin (an enzyme)
 Thromboplastin + prothrombin (protein)
 thrombin (as long as Ca2+ is present)
 Clotting process contd
 Thrombin (enzyme) + fibrinogen (protein)
 fibrin
 Fibrin forms mesh strands
 Mesh traps blood and forms clot