Blood is one of the most important tissues of the body, which consists of the liquid part (plasma), substances dissolved in it, as well as cellular (uniform) elements.
The liquid part - blood plasma makes up more than half of its volume (52-60%). Macroscopically, it is a transparent (sometimes somewhat cloudy) homogeneous yellowish liquid that collects in the upper part of blood vessels after the deposition of shaped elements. Histologically, it is an intercellular substance of the liquid part of the blood.
In fact, it is water with proteins (7-8% by weight) and salts and other organic compounds dissolved in it. A liter of plasma contains about 900 g of water, 60-80 g of proteins (this is 4% of all proteins contained in the body) and 20 g of low molecular weight compounds. In total, there are about 100 proteins in the plasma: albumin, Ξ±1-, Ξ±2-, Ξ²-, Ξ³-globulins.
The main plasma proteins are albumin (4-5%), fibrinogen (0.2-0.4%), globulins (3%), immunoglobulins (proteins that are responsible for the level of immunity) and special proteins that are involved in coagulation processes blood. It also includes nutrients (glucose, lipids) hormones, fats, sugar, vitamins and minerals, final and intermediate metabolic products, electrolytes, inorganic ions.
In a healthy body, the plasma protein level is maintained continuously. With diseases of the organs involved in catabolism and synthesis, their concentration changes.
Blood plasma performs a number of functions. First of all, it provides transportation of blood cells. It also represents a strategic supply of water in the body. The liquid part of the blood does not allow the vessels to stick together, prevents them from clogging with blood clots, supplies organs with oxygen and nutrients, and regulates blood pressure.
A separate group of plasma proteins is antibodies. They protect the body from viruses, fungi, bacteria, malignant cells (all foreign agents). Proteins of the coagulation system, which are also in the liquid part of the blood, prevent bleeding and protect against blood loss. In addition, blood plasma regulates and transports hormones, is involved in maintaining a stable temperature.
Blood plasma contains lipoproteins - complex high-molecular weight water-soluble compounds of proteins and lipids that transport lipids through the bloodstream to organs and tissues. They are characterized by a special structure.
Since plasma constantly transfers everything necessary for life to cells and removes waste products from them, a lot of βgarbageβ settles in it over time. In youth, plasma is transparent and clean, but with age it does not fully cope with the processing of "waste" and it accumulates unnecessary chemicals in the body. It loses transparency, acquiring cloudy shades. Therefore, today there is a plasmapheresis procedure that helps to renew the liquid part of the blood.
Donor plasma is collected in the same way - by separating blood cells by centrifugation on a special apparatus (plasmapheresis). Blood plasma donation ends with the return of red blood cells after the procedure to the donor. The liquid part of the blood with a high platelet content is used in medicine as a stimulant for the regeneration and healing of various body tissues.
Not so long ago, scientists concluded that blood plasma holds the secret of youth. Today, there is already a blood donation procedure for the purpose of its further hardware separation into layers. One of them - a plasma layer with a high concentration of platelets is introduced to the patient under the skin and begins to reconstruct it from the inside. This leads to a decrease in the number of wrinkles and significantly rejuvenates the skin. In the near future, medicine will be able to restore not only the skin in this way, but also the internal organs.