Blood components

===Lecture Details===
Rob Pike; Week 10 MED1011; Biochemistry
===Lecture Content===
Blood is split in a centrifuge into 55% plasma, 1% buffy coat (leukocytes and platelets) and erythrocytes (45%). Normal circulating volume is 4-6L. Haematocrit is 38% for women and 46% for men. Supernatant is the plasma. If clotting is allowed supernatant becomes the serum, haematocrit becomes blood clot. This removes the clotting factors. Blood contains water, salts, glucose, nutrients, lipids, cholesterol, plasma proteins (albumin). Blood is 8% of body weight and pH 7.35-7.45. Osmolarity is 280-296mOsm/L. Albumins are 60% of plasma, globulins are 36%, fibrinogen is 4%. Granulocytes: basophils stain blue, eisonophils stain red. RBC have an extremely complicated cytoskeleton to allow movement through thin capillaries. Each heme group carries an iron molecule. Red cell production/proliferation is stimulated by hypoxia which stimulates EPO release from the kidneys to the bone marrow. Average size is 7um, MCV 75-100; 10-15L
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