What is plasma? Function, uses, and donations - Medical ...

Plasma is the yellow-colored, liquid component that makes up most of the blood. It helps with immunity, blood clotting, maintaining blood ... WhattoknowaboutbloodplasmaMedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,R.N.,CRNA—WrittenbyLouiseMorales-BrownonAugust31,2021DefinitionFunctionsHowitkeepsthebodyhealthyDonationSummaryPlasmaisthelargestsinglecomponentofblood.Itmostlyconsistsofwater,butalsocontainsvitalproteinsandothersubstancesthatareessentialforthecorrectfunctioningofblood.Scientistscanseparatebloodintofourmaincomponents:plasmaredbloodcellswhitebloodcellsplateletsRoughly55%ofbloodisplasma,withtheotherthreecomponentsmakinguptheother45%.Asplasmaistheliquidportionofblood,itplaysavitalroleinmanybodilysystemsasitfacilitatesthetransportationofimportantsubstancesaroundthebody.Inthisarticle,wediscussthefunctionsofplasma,howitkeepsthebodyhealthy,andtheimportanceofdonatingplasma.BloodplasmadefinitionShareonPinterestKTSDESIGN/SCIENCEPHOTOLIBRARY/GettyImagesPlasma,alsoknownasbloodplasma,isthestraw-coloredliquidpartofblood.Itisthelargestsinglecomponentofblood,makinguproughly55%.Plasmaitselfconsistsof92%water.Vitalproteinsinvolvedinmanyfunctionssuchasbloodclotting,fightinginfections,andtransportingsubstancesmakeup7%ofplasma.Theremaining1%containsmineralsalts,sugars,fats,hormones,andvitamins.FunctionsAsplasmaformstheliquidbaseofblood,itservesmanyfunctionsinthebody.Someofthesefunctionsinclude:Coagulation:Manyimportantproteins,suchasfibrinogen,thrombin,andfactorX,arepresentinplasmaandplayavitalroleintheclottingprocesstostopapersonfrombleeding.Immunity:Bloodplasmacontainsdisease-fightingproteins,suchasantibodiesandimmunoglobulins,whichplayacrucialroleintheimmunesystembyfightingpathogens.Bloodpressureandvolumemaintenance:Aproteinpresentinplasmacalledalbuminhelpstomaintaintheoncoticpressure.Thispreventsfluidfromleakingintoareasofthebodyandskinwherelessfluidusuallycollects.Thisalsohelpsensurebloodflowthroughbloodvessels.pHbalance:Substancespresentinbloodplasmaactasbuffers,allowingplasmatomaintainapHwithinnormalranges,whichhelpstosupportcellfunction.Transportation:Plasmainthebloodhelpstotransportnutrients,electrolytes,hormones,andotherimportantsubstancesthroughoutthebody.Italsohelpstoremovewasteproductsbytransportingthemtotheliver,lungs,kidneys,orskin.Bodytemperature:Plasmahelpsmaintainbodytemperaturebybalancingheatlossandheatgaininthebody.HowitkeepsthebodyhealthyByperformingtheabovefunctions,plasmahelpstokeeppeoplehealthy.Itensuresthatnutrients,hormones,proteins,andothersubstancesgettothepartofthebodythatrequiresthem.Asitissuchavitalcomponentofblood,italsoplaysacriticalroleinthetreatmentofmanyserioushealthproblems.Plasmacontainsmanyimportantsubstances,namelyantibodies,clottingfactors,andproteinssuchasalbuminandfibrinogen.Thisiswhythereareblooddrivesaskingpeopletodonateplasma.Aftercollectingdonatedplasma,healthcareprofessionalsfreezeittopreserveitsqualityandfunction.Theyrefertothisasfreshfrozenplasma,orFFP.TheycanthenissueFFPtohospitalsorpharmaceuticalcompaniesthatcanfurtherprocess,separate,andconcentratethevitalsubstancespresentintheplasmaintovariousproductsthatdoctorscanuseaslifesavingtreatments.Forexample,fromFFP,scientistscanpreparecryoprecipitate,whichisrichinclottingfactorsandcanhelppeoplewithbleedingdisorders.Bloodplasmadonation Bloodanditscomponentsareapreciousresourceinhealthcare.EvidencenotesthatthehealthcaresystemintheUnitedStatesrequiresnearly10,000unitsofplasmaeveryday.Forthisreason,somepeoplerefertobloodplasmaasliquidgold.Clinically,healthcareprofessionalscanuseplasmainvariousways.Inparticular,plasmacanbepartoflifesavingtreatmentsforpeoplewhohavetraumaandburninjuriesorthosewithsevereliverdiseasesandrareblooddiseases.Blooddonationisasafeandsimpleprocedurewhereapersondonatesbloodproducts.Peoplecandonateplasmathrougheitherwholebloodorplasmadonations.Withwholeblooddonations,apersondonatesallthecomponentsofblood.Healthcareprofessionalscangivewholebloodtothosewhomayneedit,suchasthoserecoveringfromsurgery,orscientistscanseparatethebloodintodifferentcomponentsandusethemasneeded.Plasmadonationinvolvesdrawingblood,extractingtheplasma,andreturningtherestofthebloodtothedonorthroughaprocesscalledplasmapheresis.Thistypeofdonationtakesslightlylongerthanwholeblood,butasapersonisonlydonatingplasma,ityieldsalargervolumeofbloodplasma,meaningpeoplecandonatemorefrequently.PeoplewithABbloodtypehaveauniversaltypeofplasma,whichmeansthatanyonecanreceivethisplasmasafely.Peopleinemergencysituationscanreceivethistypeofplasmaimmediately,whichcouldmeanthedifferencebetweenlifeanddeath.TheAmericanRedCrossurgepeoplewithtypeABbloodtodonateplasma.Peoplewiththisbloodtypecandothisevery28days,orupto13timesayear.Clickheretolearnmoreaboutdonatingplasma.SummaryPlasmaistheyellow-colored,liquidcomponentthatmakesupmostoftheblood.Ithelpswithimmunity,bloodclotting,maintainingbloodpressure,bloodvolume,andpHbalanceinthebody.Italsoplaysakeyroleintransportingbloodcells,nutrients,proteins,wasteproducts,andhormonesthroughoutthebody.Peoplewhoarecapableofdonatingbloodmaywanttoconsiderdonatingplasma.Itisinhighdemandasitcanbeveryusefulfortreatingpeoplewithmassivebloodloss,liverfailure,cancer,rarediseases,orotherhealthissues.Ifanindividualwantstodonatebloodorplasma,theycanfindtheirnearestcenterusingtheAABB’sBloodandConvalescentPlasmaDonationSiteLocator.Alternatively,peoplecanfindadonationdrivethroughtheAmericanRedCross.LastmedicallyreviewedonAugust31,2021Blood/HematologyEmergencyMedicineMedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,R.N.,CRNA—WrittenbyLouiseMorales-BrownonAugust31,2021LatestnewsPlant-baseddietsproducelessgreenhousegasCrohn’s:Howstressmayincreasedisease-associatedbacteria,causingflare-upsNasalvaccineforAlzheimer'sentersphase1trialFasting-mimickingdiets:Couldtheyhelptreatcancer?IBSdietsandgutbacteria:What’stheconnection?RelatedCoverageWhocangiveblood?MedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHWhocandonateblood?Inthisarticle,discoverthecriteriafordifferentblooddonationsandlearnwhatfactorsmaypreventpeoplefromdonating.READMOREAdvantagesanddisadvantagesofdonatingbloodMedicallyreviewedbyKevinMartinez,MDTherearesomethingstoconsiderbeforegivingblood.Learnabouttheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofdonatingblood,plushowitaffectsthebody…READMOREFactsaboutdonatingbloodMedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHDonatingbloodisimportantandcanhelpsavelives.Learnmoreaboutblooddonations,includinghowlongtheytakeandsomepotentialsideeffects…READMOREHowdoesdonatingbloodaffectthebody?MedicallyreviewedbyDebraSullivan,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,CNE,COIDonatingbloodcanhavepositiveeffectsonaperson'smentalandphysicalhealth.Learnmoreabouthowdonatingbloodcanaffectthebodyhere.READMOREHowtorecoverafterdonatingbloodMedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,R.N.,CRNALearnhowtohelpthebodyrecoverafterdonatingblood.Welookintowhichfoodstoeat,whichactivitiestoavoid,andanyadverseeffectstowatch…READMORE