Contents:
- Medical Video: The Components of Blood and Their Importance
- Get to know the various components of human blood
- 1. Blood plasma
- 2. Blood cells
Medical Video: The Components of Blood and Their Importance
Besides being filled with water, blood also flows throughout the human body. Without blood, you can be sure that oxygen and juice will be difficult to deliver properly throughout the body. However, do you know what components make up blood to be able to function optimally? Come on, first identify the various components of blood in the body and their respective functions!
Get to know the various components of human blood
Blood is composed of a combination of blood plasma and blood cells, all of which circulate throughout the body. These blood cells are then divided into three types, namely red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
So overall, the components of human blood consist of four types, including blood plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. All components have their own duties and functions that support the work of blood in the body.
1. Blood plasma
Blood plasma is a component of blood that is fluid. The blood plasma fills around 55-60 percent of the blood volume in the body. In detail, blood plasma is composed of water about 92 percent, and the remaining 8 percent is carbon dioxide, glucose, amino acids (proteins), vitamins, fats, and mineral salts.
The main task of blood plasma is to transport blood cells, to then be circulated throughout the body with nutrition; body waste results; antibody; freezing protein; and chemicals such as hormones and proteins that help maintain body fluid balance. The freezing protein carried by the plasma will then work with platelets to accelerate the blood clotting process.
In addition to circulating various important ingredients, blood plasma also functions to balance blood volume and levels of electrolytes (salts), including sodium; calcium; potassium; magnesium; chloride; and bicarbonate, reported by Livestrong.
2. Blood cells
If blood plasma accounts for around 55-60 percent, the blood cells fill the remainder, which is approximately 40-45 percent. Especially, consisting of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Red blood cells (erythrocytes)
Famous red blood cells are thick red with a number of cells that are quite abundant in the blood. Round shape with a bikonkaf in the middle. One of the uniqueness of red blood cells, which is equipped with a special protein called hemoglobin.
In addition to giving a distinctive red color, hemoglobin is also responsible for helping red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs to be circulated throughout the body, as well as transporting carbon dioxide back from the whole body to the lungs to be removed. The overall percentage of blood volume consisting of red blood cells is called a hematocrit.
Unlike other cells, red blood cells do not have a nucleus (nucleus) so they can change shape easily. This is what helps red blood cells adjust to passing through various blood vessels in the body.
Generally the life span of red blood cells only lasts about four months or 120 days. During that time, the body will regularly replace and produce new red blood cells.
White blood cells (leukocytes)
Compared to red blood cells, white blood cells have far fewer amounts. Even so, white blood cells carry out tasks that are not playful, namely fighting viral, bacterial, fungal infections, which trigger the development of disease. Because the white blood cells produce antibodies that will help fight these foreign substances.
White blood cells are produced by different types of bone marrow, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, monoctyes, eosinophils, and basophils. All have the same duty to maintain the immune system. The life span of white blood cells is quite long, can be in a matter of days, months, to years, depending on the type.
Platelets (platelets)
Slightly different from white and red blood cells, platelets are actually not cells, but rather small cell fragments. Platelets have an important role in the process of blood clotting (coagulation) when the body is injured. Precisely, platelets will form a blockage with fibrin yarns to stop inflammation, while stimulating the growth of new tissue in the wound area.
Normal platelet counts in the blood are between 150,000 and 400,000 platelets per microliter of blood. If the platelet count is higher than the normal range, it can result in unnecessary blood clots. Finally, it can risk causing stroke and heart attack.
Meanwhile, if someone lacks platelet counts in the blood, it will cause heavy bleeding because the blood is difficult to freeze.
