Blood plasma

Blood is the main bodily fluid and responsible for transporting important nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide and waste products to and away from the cells, whereas plasma is the yellow liquid component of blood and constitutes 55% of the total blood volume.
Blood is the main bodily fluid and responsible for transporting important nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide and waste products to and away from the cells.

Plasma is the yellow liquid component of blood and constitutes 55% of the total blood volume.

Composition of blood vs plasma

Blood is composed of plasma and different kinds of cells- red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and thromobocytes (platelets). The density of blood (1060 kg/m³) is very close to that of pure water (1000 kg/m³).

Plasma contains water (90%), proteins (albumin, fibrinogen and globulins), nutrients (glucose, fatty acids, amino acids), waste products (urea, uric acid, lactic acid, creatinine), clotting factors, minerals, immunoglobulins, hormones and carbon dioxide, i.e. all the components of blood except the red, white blood cells and thrombocytes. Components can either be dissolved (if soluble) or remain bound to proteins (if insoluble). Plasma has the density of 1025 kg/m³.

Diseases

Blood disorders include anemia (insufficient red cell mass), genetic disorders (thalassemia and sickle cell anemia), leukemia (type of blood cancer), haemophilia (inherited clotting disorder), infectious disorders (HIV, Hepatitis B and C, bacteremia, malaria,