Human Blood in a nutshell:
1. Blood is a combination of plasma and cells that circulate
through the entire body; the red liquid circulates in the arteries and veins of
humans carrying oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body and carbon
dioxide vice versa. A normal oxygen level for healthy lungs falls between 80
and 100 mm Hg.
Total blood volume constitutes of:-
i. 55%
plasma (composed of 90% water, salts, lipids and hormones, rich in proteins
(including albumin), immunoglobulin, clotting factors and fibrinogen).
ii. 45%
erythrocytes (RBC).
iii. Less
than 1% consists of leukocytes (WBC) and,
iv. Thrombocytes
(platelets).
2. Plasma is light yellow liquid carries
water, salts and enzymes. The main role of plasma is to take nutrients,
hormones, and proteins to the parts of the body that need it. Cells also put
their waste products into the plasma. The colourless fluid part of blood in
which corpuscles (cells) are suspended, more than half of the blood's volume
consists of plasma, mostly made of water that contains dissolved salts
(electrolytes) and proteins. Plasma cells have an indeterminate lifespan,
ranging from days to months. It is frozen within 24 hours of being donated in
order to preserve the valuable clotting factors. It is then stored for up to
one year, and thawed when needed.
Plasma is beneficial to a wide variety
of patients, trauma, shock, severe liver disease and multiple clotting factor
deficiencies patients. Children and adults with cancer or leukaemia need plasma
transfusions. Other users are people undergoing liver transplants, bone marrow
transplants, and severe burn patients. Clotting factors for haemophilia
patients are made from donated plasma. It helps boost the patient's blood
volume, which can prevent shock, and helps with blood clotting.
i. The
normal range is 3.5-5.5 g/dL or 35-55 g/litre. Albumin composes 50%-60% of
blood plasma proteins.
ii. Plasma
can be exchanged in the hospital or at medical facilities, the process isn't
painful, and one does not need anaesthesia.
iii. Vitamin
& food to increase plasma are Vitamin A – carrot, sweet potato. Vitamin B12
– eggs, cabbage, folate rich food, Vitamin K.
3. A blood cell, called a
haematopoietic cell, hemocyte, or hematocyte, is produced through
haematopoiesis and found mainly in the blood. The three main types of blood
cells (corpuscles) are Erythrocytes (Red blood cells or RBC), Leukocytes (White
blood cells or WBC), and Thrombocytes (Platelet).
i. Erythrocyte
(RBC) is a cell that
contains protein called haemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to all
parts of the body.
ii. Leukocytes
(WBC) are type of
immune cells that are made in the bone marrow and are found in the blood and in
lymph tissue. Types of Leukocytes are granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils,
and basophiles), monocytes, and lymphocytes (T cells and B cells). The two main
types of lymphocytes are B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes. B lymphocytes make
antibodies, and T lymphocytes help kill tumour cells and help control immune
responses. The lifespan of white blood cells (WBC) ranges from 13 to 20 days,
after which time they are destroyed in the lymphatic system. When immature WBCs
are first released from the bone marrow into the peripheral blood, they are
called "bands" or "stabs." Leukocytes fight infection
through a process known as phagocytosis.
iii Thrombocytes (Platelet) help form blood
clots to slow or stop bleeding and to help wounds heal. They are pieces of very
large cells in the bone marrow called megakaryocytes. Having too many or too
few thrombocytes or having platelets that don't work as they can cause
problems. The lifespan of thrombocytes is 5 to 10 days, and thus they have to
be constantly replenished.
4. Erythrocytes or red blood cell (RBC) - a
type of blood cell that is made in the bone marrow and found in the blood,
carries oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues and carbon dioxide as a waste
product, away from the tissues and back to the lungs. Their characteristics of
being red, round, and like rubber give them the ability to complete their
specific functions. Erythrocytes are produced in the bone marrow and sent into
the circulation. At the end of their lifecycle, they are destroyed by
macrophages, and their components are recycled. In a normal individual with a
mean RBC lifespan of 115 days, this value may vary between 70 and 140 days.
i. The
normal range of RBC for men is 4.7 - 6.1 million cells per microliter (mcL).
The normal RBC range for women who aren't pregnant is 4.2 - 5.4 million mcL.
The normal RBC range for children is 4.0 - 5.5 million mcL.
ii. A
high erythrocytes (RBC) count may be a result of sleep apnoea, pulmonary
fibrosis, and other conditions that cause low oxygen levels in the blood.
Performance-enhancing drugs like protein injections and anabolic steroids can
also increase RBC. Kidney disease and kidney cancers can lead to high RBC
counts as well.
iii.
High
red blood cell count, recommends a procedure or medication to lower it. In a
procedure called a phlebotomy, a phlebotomist inserts a needle into your vein
and drains blood through a tube into a bag or container.
iv. A
low red blood count, or anemia, can cause feelings of fatigue and weakness.
When a person has a lower red blood count than is normal, their body has to
work harder to get enough oxygen to the cells. A low red blood cell (RBC) count
can cause a variety of symptoms and health complications.
v. Vitamin
B12 makes red blood cells, to provide vitamin B12 to your cells; you must eat
foods that contain vitamin B12, such as meat, poultry, shellfish, eggs,
fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products. Your body must absorb enough
vitamin B12.
vi. Food
to increase RBC are red meat, organ meat (kidney, liver), dark leafy green
vegetable (spinach), dried fruits (raisin), beans, legumes, and egg yokes.
5. Leukocytes
(White blood cells or
WBC): Blood cell that is made in the bone marrow
and found in the blood and lymph tissue, body's immune system; protecting the
body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. Normal white blood
cells (WBC) 4.0-10.0 /μL. Food and vitamins to
increase WBC are Citrus fruits, Vitamin C, zinc, poultry and lean meat.
Five types of
leukocytes are, - Monocytes, Lymphocytes (B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes) and
Neutrophils, Basophils, Eosinophils are collectively known as Granulocytes.
i. Monocytes are a type of leukocyte, or white blood
cell. They are the largest type of leukocyte and can differentiate into
macrophages and myeloid lineage dendritic cells. As a part of the vertebrate
innate immune system monocytes also influence the process of adaptive immunity.
The life span of a circulating monocyte is fairly brief and most undergo
apoptosis after about 24 h. Some monocytes do, however, migrate into tissues or
to the sites of damage or infection where they subsequently mature into
macrophages. Normal range of Monocytes: 0-10%.
ii. Lymphocytes are type of immune cell those are made
in the bone marrow and are found in the blood and in lymph tissue. They create
antibodies to fight against bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful
invaders. Unusually high or low lymphocyte counts can be a sign of disease.
Most lymphocytes are short-lived, with an average life span of a week to a few
months, but a few live for years, providing a pool of long-lived T and B cells.
These cells account for immunologic “memory,” a more rapid, vigorous response
to a second encounter with the same antigen. Normal range of Lymphocytes:
20-40%.
(a) The two main types of lymphocytes are B
lymphocytes and T lymphocytes. B lymphocytes make antibodies to attack specific
viruses, bacteria, and other foreign invaders. T lymphocytes help to identify
and kill tumour cells and help control immune responses.
i. B
lymphocytes or B-cells
fight bacteria and viruses by making Y-shaped proteins called antibodies, which
are specific to each pathogen and are able to lock onto the surface of an
invading cell and mark it for destruction by other immune cells. About 85% of
peripheral B cells are phenotypically mature and display first-order
exponential kinetics defined by a half-life of 5-6 weeks, whilst the remainder
are short-lived with a life span of several days.
ii. T
lymphocytes or T-cells
are one of the major components of the adaptive immune system. Their roles
include directly killing infected host cells, activating other immune cells,
producing cytokines and regulating the immune response. Memory T cells live for
six months or less in healthy humans, whereas naive T cells can live for up to
nine years. Thus, a long life is not a key characteristic of memory T cells.
(b) Antibody, a blood protein produced in
response to and counteracting a specific antigen. Antibodies combine chemically
with substances which the body recognizes as alien, such as bacteria, viruses,
and foreign substances in the blood.
(c) Antigen is any substance that causes
your immune system to produce antibodies against it. This means your immune
system does not recognize the substance, and is trying to fight it off. An
antigen may be a substance from the environment, such as chemicals, bacteria,
viruses, or pollen.
(d) Bacteria, member of a large group of
unicellular micro organisms which have cell walls but lack organelles and an
organized nucleus, including some which can cause disease.
(e) Viruses are infective agents those
typically consist of nucleic acid molecule in protein coats, are too small to
be seen by light microscopy, and are able to multiply only within the living
cells of hosts.
(f) Fungi, a group of spore-producing
organisms feeding on organic matter, including moulds, yeast, mushrooms, and
toadstools.
(g) Parasites, organisms those live in or
on organisms of another species (hosts) and benefit by deriving nutrients at
the other's expense.
iii. Granulocytes: Neutrophils, Basophils, and
Eosinophils are white blood cells help the immune system fight off infection;
they have secretory granules in its cytoplasm, so collectively they known as
Granulocytes. Typically granulocytes have a role both in innate and adaptive
immune responses in the fight against viral and parasitic infections.
(a) Neutrophils kill and digest bacteria and fungi. It
is a type of white blood cell, a type of granulocyte, and a type of phagocyte.
A type of immune cell that is one of the first cell types to travel to the site
of an infection. Neutrophils help fight infection by ingesting micro organisms
and releasing enzymes that kill the micro organisms. Neutrophils are key
components in the system of defence against infection. An absence or scarcity
of neutrophils (a condition called neutropenia) makes a person vulnerable to
infection. The average lifespan of inactivated human neutrophils in the
circulation has been reported by different approaches to be between 5 and 135
hours. Normal neutrophils (ANC) count 40-80% of total white blood cells.
(b) Basophils, appear in many specific kinds of
inflammatory reactions those particularly reason allergic symptoms, contain
anticoagulant heparin, which prevents blood from clotting too quickly; also
contain the vasodilator histamine, which promotes blood flow to tissues. Once
mature, basophils have an estimated life span of 60–70 hours. Normal range of
Basophils <2%
(c) Eosinophils, are type of disease-fighting white
blood cell, condition most often indicates a parasitic infection, an allergic
reaction or cancer, one can have high levels of eosinophils in blood (blood eosinophilia)
or in tissues at the site of an infection or inflammation (tissue
eosinophilia). Eosinophils have a circulating half-life of approximately 18
hours and a tissue life span of at least 6 days. Normal range of Eosinophils:
0.0-6.0%.
6. Thrombocytes (Platelet) are pieces of very large cells in the
bone marrow called megakaryocytes. They help form blood clots to slow or stop
bleeding and to help wounds heal. The lifespan of thrombocytes is five to 10
days. Having too many or too few thrombocytes or having platelets that don't
work as they can cause problems, more than 400000 platelets, a condition called
thrombocytosis; having less than 150000 known as thrombocytopenia..
i.
A
normal platelet count ranges 150-400
(μL) of blood.
ii.
Food
to increase platelet- eggs, green leafy vegetable, liver, meat and cabbage.
(a) Primary thrombocytosis, or essential
thrombocythemia, can cause serious bleeding or clotting complications. These
can usually be avoided by maintaining good control of the platelet count with
medications. After many years, however, bone marrow fibrosis (scarring) can
develop. Secondary thrombocytosis include infection, inflammatory states (for
example, inflammatory bowel disease), physical stress (including the
post-operative state), acute blood loss, iron deficiency anemia,
post-splenectomy and underlying malignancy.
(b) Thrombocytopenia signs and symptoms are
easy or excessive bruising (purpura) superficial bleeding into the skin that
appears as a rash of pinpoint-sized reddish-purple spots (petechiae), usually
on the lower legs, prolonged bleeding from cuts.
Collect
Arranged by – Soumendra Nath Thakur 20-07-2020
#albumin
#antibody #bacteria #basophils #bcell #blood #blymphocytes #corpuscles
#eosinophils #erythrocytes #erythrocytes #fibrinogen #fungi #granulocytes
#haematopoiesis #haematopoietic #hematocyte #hemocyte #immunoglobulin
#leukocytes #lymphocytes #microorganisms #monocytes #neutrophils #organisms
#parasites #plasma #platelets #RBC
#redbloodcells #tcell #thrombocytes
#tlymphocytes #viruses #WBC
