Plasma and Blood Cells (RBCs, WBCs, and Platelets) - Hematology and Physiology

Summary

In this educational video, Medicosus Perfect explores the composition and functions of blood, highlighting the roles of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells, the most abundant, transport oxygen and carbon dioxide, while white blood cells defend against infections. Platelets, fragments of megakaryocytes, aid in clotting to prevent excessive bleeding. The video also touches on the origins of these cells in the bone marrow and their significance in immunity and homeostasis.

Takeaways

• 🔴 Blood is composed of plasma and blood cells, with plasma making up 55% and cells 45% of the blood.
• 🩸 Red blood cells, also known as erythrocytes, are the most abundant and carry oxygen to cells and carbon dioxide away.
• 🔬 White blood cells, including granulocytes and non-granulocytes, defend the body against foreign invaders and play a crucial role in immunity.
• 🩹 Platelets, or thrombocytes, aid in blood clotting to prevent excessive bleeding after injury.
• 💧 Plasma consists of water, inorganic substances (electrolytes), organic substances (like proteins and lipids), and gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide).
• 📚 Plasma proteins include albumin, globulins (alpha, beta, gamma), and others like fibrinogen and prothrombin which are involved in blood clotting.
• 🧬 Globulins, specifically immunoglobulins, are crucial for the immune response and include different types like IgM, IgA, IgG, Ige, and IgD.
• 🌐 Red blood cells are biconvex, lack a nucleus, and have a central pallor, which increases their surface area for gas exchange.
• 🚫 Red blood cells do not have mitochondria, a nucleus, or ribosomes, and thus cannot perform oxidative phosphorylation or synthesize proteins.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Red blood cell count is higher in neonates, athletes, and highlanders due to increased oxygen demand and lower oxygen availability.
• 🧠 Lymphocytes, derived from bone marrow, are central to the immune response, maturing into memory cells and plasma cells that produce antibodies.

Q & A

What are the three types of blood vessels?

The three types of blood vessels are arteries, veins, and capillaries.

What are the two main components of blood?

Blood is composed of plasma and blood cells.

What are the primary functions of red blood cells?

Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, primarily carry oxygen to the cells and carbon dioxide away from the cells.

What is the role of white blood cells in the body?

White blood cells act as the body's defense system, protecting against foreign invaders like bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.

What is the primary function of platelets?

Platelets, or thrombocytes, help in blood clotting to prevent excessive bleeding after injury.

What are the different types of proteins found in plasma?

Plasma contains proteins such as albumin, globulins (alpha, beta, and gamma), fibrinogen, and prothrombin, which are involved in blood clotting.

What is the most abundant plasma protein?

The most abundant plasma protein is albumin.

Where do blood cells originate from?

Blood cells originate from pluripotent stem cells in the bone marrow.

What is the difference between granulocytes and non-granulocytes?

Granulocytes are white blood cells with granules in their cytoplasm, such as neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils. Non-granulocytes, like monocytes and lymphocytes, do not have granules.

What is the significance of the biconcave shape of red blood cells?

The biconcave shape of red blood cells increases surface area for gas exchange and provides flexibility to squeeze through small capillaries without bursting.

How does hemoglobin function within red blood cells?

Hemoglobin acts like a 'taxicab', carrying up to four oxygen molecules to cells and helping to transport carbon dioxide away from cells.

Outlines

00:00

🩸 Blood Components and Functions

The script begins by introducing the components of blood, which include plasma and blood cells. Plasma makes up 55% of blood and consists of water, inorganic substances (electrolytes), organic substances (plasma proteins, lipids), and gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide). Blood cells are divided into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are the most abundant and carry oxygen and carbon dioxide. White blood cells, which include granulocytes and non-granulocytes, defend the body against invaders. Platelets, or thrombocytes, aid in blood clotting to prevent excessive bleeding. The video also discusses the origin of blood cells, which are derived from pluripotent stem cells in the bone marrow. The plasma proteins, including albumin and globulins, are highlighted, with a focus on their roles in coagulation and immunity.

05:02

🔬 Structure and Function of Red Blood Cells

This section delves into the structure and function of red blood cells. They are described as circular, biconcave, and lacking a nucleus. The biconcave shape increases surface area for gas exchange and provides flexibility to navigate through capillaries. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which is responsible for carrying oxygen. The video explains the process of osmosis and how red blood cells can swell in hypotonic solutions without bursting due to their shape. It also mentions that red blood cell counts are higher in neonates, athletes, and highlanders due to different oxygen requirements. The role of the bone marrow in producing red blood cells and the splenic macrophages in removing them is also covered.

10:03

🛡️ White Blood Cells and Immune Response

The script discusses white blood cells, emphasizing their role in the immune system. Neutrophils are highlighted as the most abundant and are involved in acute inflammation and pus formation. Lymphocytes are crucial for fighting viruses and fungi and are part of the chronic inflammatory response. Monocytes, which become macrophages in tissues, perform phagocytosis. Eosinophils and basophils are associated with allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. The video also touches on the maturation of lymphocytes from naive to activated and memory cells, which enhance the immune response upon subsequent exposures to the same pathogens. The production of antibodies by plasma cells is also mentioned, with a brief overview of the different types of antibodies and their classification as gamma globulins.

🩠 Platelets and Hemostasis

The final paragraph focuses on platelets, which are fragments of megakaryocytes and do not have a nucleus. Platelets play a critical role in hemostasis, the process of stopping bleeding. They form a plug at the site of injury and are followed by coagulation factors that solidify the clot. The video mentions the process of primary hemostasis, where platelets are the first responders, and secondary hemostasis, involving coagulation factors. The script concludes with a call to action for viewers to subscribe and support the channel, and it promotes related courses and resources available for further study.

Keywords

💡Blood Vessels

Blood vessels are the network of tubes that transport blood throughout the body. They include arteries, veins, and capillaries. Arteries carry blood away from the heart, veins return it to the heart, and capillaries are the smallest vessels that allow for the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and waste between the blood and the body's cells. In the script, blood vessels are discussed as the pathways for blood, which is composed of plasma and blood cells.

💡Plasma

Plasma is the liquid component of blood in which blood cells are suspended. It makes up about 55% of the blood and is primarily composed of water, electrolytes, proteins, and other organic substances. Plasma proteins include albumin and globulins, which play a role in maintaining blood's osmotic pressure and immune response. The script highlights that plasma is a clear fluid that carries gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide, which are essential for respiration.

💡Red Blood Cells

Red blood cells, or erythrocytes, are the most abundant cells in the blood. They are responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs. The script mentions that red blood cells are shaped like biconcave discs, which increases their surface area for gas exchange and provides flexibility to navigate through capillaries.

💡White Blood Cells

White blood cells, or leukocytes, are part of the immune system and are involved in defending the body against infections and foreign invaders. They include granulocytes, such as neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils, and non-granulocytes, like monocytes and lymphocytes. The script explains that while red blood cells lack a nucleus, white blood cells contain one and are essential for immune responses.

💡Platelets

Platelets, or thrombocytes, are cell fragments that play a crucial role in blood clotting. They are not complete cells but rather pieces of larger cells called megakaryocytes. When there is an injury, platelets aggregate at the site to form a clot, preventing excessive blood loss. The script describes platelets as essential for hemostasis, the process that stops bleeding after an injury.

💡Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is an iron-containing protein in red blood cells that binds to oxygen and carbon dioxide. It allows red blood cells to transport oxygen to the body's tissues and carbon dioxide back to the lungs for exhalation. The script notes that hemoglobin is composed of heme and globin, with the iron in heme being vital for its function. A deficiency in iron can lead to anemia.

💡Bone Marrow

Bone marrow is the soft tissue found in the cavities of bones, responsible for producing blood cells, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The script indicates that pluripotent stem cells in the bone marrow differentiate into myeloid and lymphoid stem cells, which then develop into various types of blood cells.

💡Coagulation Factors

Coagulation factors are proteins in the blood that work with platelets to form blood clots. They are part of the coagulation cascade, a series of biochemical reactions that lead to the formation of a stable clot. The script mentions that coagulation factors assist platelets in stopping bleeding after an injury, which is part of the secondary hemostasis process.

💡Osmosis

Osmosis is the movement of solvent molecules, such as water, across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration. The script uses the example of a red blood cell in a hypotonic solution, where water moves into the cell by osmosis, causing it to swell due to the higher osmolarity inside the cell compared to the surrounding fluid.

💡Hemolysis

Hemolysis is the rupture of red blood cells, which can occur when they are placed in a hypotonic solution, causing them to swell and burst. The script cautions that if red blood cells were not biconcave, they would be prone to hemolysis in hypotonic conditions, illustrating the importance of their shape for flexibility and durability.

💡Lymphocytes

Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that plays a central role in the immune system. They include B cells, which produce antibodies, and T cells, which directly attack infected cells. The script explains that lymphocytes are derived from lymphoid stem cells in the bone marrow and are crucial for both the innate and adaptive immune responses.

Highlights

Blood is composed of plasma and blood cells.

Blood cells include red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Red blood cells transport oxygen and carbon dioxide.

White blood cells act as the body's defense system against invaders.

Platelets aid in blood clotting to prevent excessive bleeding.

Plasma makes up 55% of blood and consists of water, proteins, electrolytes, and gases.

The most abundant plasma protein is albumin.

Red blood cells are circular, biconcave, and lack a nucleus.

Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which carries oxygen.

White blood cells have a nucleus and include granulocytes and non-granulocytes.

Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells and fight bacteria.

Lymphocytes fight viruses and fungi and are involved in chronic inflammation.

Monocytes function as macrophages and perform phagocytosis.

Platelets are fragments of megakaryocytes and play a role in hemostasis.

Red blood cell count is higher in neonates, athletes, and highlanders.

Hemoglobin is composed of iron and protoporphyrin.

Lymphocytes can mature into memory B cells and plasma cells.

Platelets are essential for primary hemostasis and clot formation.

The video discusses the importance of understanding blood components for medical students.

Transcripts

what's going on it's medicosus perfect

snails where medicine makes perfect

sense we continue our biology playlist

in the last video we talked about the

blood vessels you have arteries veins

and capillaries now what flows inside

the vessel

blood yeah and blood is made of what

plasma and blood cells the blood cells

are divided into red blood cells white

blood cells and platelets red blood

cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide

oxygen is given to the cell carbon

dioxide is taken away from the cell and

then you go to the lungs to do the exact

opposite white blood cells that's your

military defense system defending your

body against invaders platelets or

thrombocytes will help you make a

thrombus they help you clot your blood

so you do not bleed a lot after injuring

yourself your blood is made of plasma

and cells the plasma water and proteins

the proteins are albumin or globulin the

globulin is alpha globulin beta globulin

or gamma globulins let's talk about the

cells these are the red blood cells the

white blood cells and the platelets

plasma constitutes 55

of your blood but sells only 45

which one of these three is the most

abundant and the most numerous red blood

cells of course we're talking millions

in every microliter let's start by

talking about the plasma the plasma is a

relatively clear fluid why because most

of it is water then we have some

inorganic substances these are your

electrolytes positives and negatives

then you have organic substances such as

plasma proteins plasma lipids and others

and don't forget your gases i'm not

talking about your fart i'm talking

about the blood gases we have oxygen

which comes from the lungs

and then goes to the tissue and carbon

dioxide which comes from the tissue and

goes to the lung so that you can breathe

it out

disgusting the plasma proteins are

albumin and globulin mostly do we have

others yes we do such as fibrosis and

prothrombin these are coagulation

factors remember the platelets yeah the

platelets would like to stop bleeding

yeah and coagulation factors are gonna

help them after the platelets have

performed their job what's the most

abundant plasma protein albumin albumin

is more abundant and you have many types

of globulins you have alpha 1 alpha 2

beta and gum don't forget these because

these are your antibodies or

immunoglobulins and they are so

important when it comes to immunity and

we'll talk about immunity in the next

section in this biology playlist we're

done with plasma let's talk about cells

blood cells that is we have red blood

cells white blood cells and platelets to

carry oxygen and carbon dioxide to fight

foreign invaders and microorganisms

to cause clots and to prevent blood loss

hashtag hemostasis hemostasis is not the

same as homeostasis let's talk about the

blood cells where do they come from from

pluripotent stem cells where's that in

the bone marrow so all of my blood cells

come from the bone marrow that's true

your red blood cells come from the bone

marrow your platelets come from the bone

marrow your white blood cells also come

from the bone marrow pluripotent stem

cells these stem cells are two types

myeloid and lymphoid everything is

myeloid except lymphocytes lymphocytes

lymphoid anything else myeloid how about

red blood cells myeloid how about

platelets myeloid how about monocytes

neutrophils basophils eosinophils all of

these are white blood cells and they are

myeloid the only white blood cells that

are not myeloid are lymphocytes they are

lymphoid so the red blood cells are here

they are called erythrocytes the word

erythro means red and site means cells

they come from

erythroblasts a blast is a big immature

cell but a site is a small mature cell

then we have your platelets also known

as

thrombocytes they come from

megakaryocytes which come from

megakaryoblasts all of the others are

white blood cells some of them have

granules in the cytoplasm we call them

granulocytes the others do not have

granules we call them

non-granulocytes who are the

granulocytes mitochosis neutrophils

basophils acidophils the acronym is ben

basophils eosinophils neutrophils who

are the non-granulocytes monocytes and

lymphocytes monocytes come from

monoblasts lymphocytes come from

lymphoblasts let's talk about your red

blood cells the most numerous and the

most abundant cells in your blood you

have to memorize these three words red

blood cells are circular like this

by concave like this none nucleated they

do not have a nucleus they have a

central pallor in their center they are

pale

like this if you look at them from above

they are like a circle but if you look

at them sideways like in a side view

they are by concave like this why buy

concave mitochosis because this will

increase the surface area right which

increases the area available for gas

exchange oxygen is given to the cell

carbon dioxide is taken from the cell

the opposite will happen in your lungs

this by concave shape gives the red

blood cell flexibility so that it can

squeeze herself through small

fenestrations in the capillary

endothelium this also allows the red

blood cell not to burst easily if you

put them in hypotonic fluid hypotonic

fluid is a fluid that has a similarity

lower than the plasma so let's put this

lovely red blood cell in a fluid that

has osmolality lower than the plasma in

this situation the red blood cell itself

has a higher osmolarity than this

hypotonic fluid correct therefore water

is going to flow towards the high

osmolarity okay this is called osmosis

and the red blood cell will swell but

thanks to the viking cave shape it will

not explode but imagine that your red

blood cell was not by concave well then

with the first drop of hypotonic fluid

added to the blood your red blood cells

will rupture and burst pew hashtag

hemolysis red blood cell count is higher

in neonates athletes and highlanders

because if you go upstairs there is less

pressure and therefore less oxygen

partial pressure which can lead to

hypoxia so as a response your body will

make more red blood cells who makes the

red blood cells the bone marrow stem

cells who gets rid of them after their

life cycle is over the splenic

macrophages red blood cells contain

hemoglobin which is a globin one of the

proteins hemoglobin is made of guess

what heme and globin the globin is just

a bunch of amino acids helium is iron

and protoporphyrin lumped together

that's why if i have iron deficiency i

can get what anemia the red blood cell

has a membrane and a cytoplasm does it

have a nucleus no

no nucleus no mitochondria therefore no

tca cycle and no electron transport

chain therefore no oxidative

phosphorylation for you red blood cell

also no ribosome the red blood cell

contains a protein known as hemoglobin

which is made of heme and globin the

heme is made of iron and protoporphyrin

what's the job of the hemoglobin it's

like a taxicab it carries four passenger

four oxygen molecules in previous videos

we talked about the cardiovascular

system remember the left ventricle is

going to give oxygenated blood to all of

your cells you go arteries arterioles

and then capillaries these capillaries

will give oxygen to the cells and the

cells will dump carbon dioxide but who

carried the oxygen in the blood the

hemoglobin of the red blood cell who

carried the carbon dioxide while in the

blood the hemoglobin of the red blood

cell now it's time to talk about the

white blood cells unlike your red blood

cells the white blood cells actually

have a nucleus and of course we have

granulocytes with granules in the

cytoplasm and non-granulocytes

the granulocytes are these the

non-granulocytes are these two

granulocytes are ben basophils

eosinophils neutrophils the

non-granulocytes are lymphocytes and

monocytes here are your white blood

cells sixty percent of the white blood

cells are neutrophils so neutrophils are

the most abundant followed by

lymphocytes monocytes eosinophils and

last is basophils functions of white

blood cells the neutrophils fight

bacteria they are the ones that cause

acute inflammation they are the cells

that secrete pus that's why we call them

pus cells they have another name known

as polymorph nuclear leukocytes because

the nucleus has different shapes by the

way polymorph for nuclear leukocytes is

not just the neutrophils but since the

neutrophil is the most abundant just the

two words have become synonymous

lymphocytes are fighting viruses and

fungi they are the cells of chronic

inflammation and they are the cells that

make a granuloma monocytes are the same

as macrophages when they are in the

blood we call them monocytes when they

are inside tissue we call them

macrophages what's the function of

either

phagocytosis they ate bacteria

eosinophils fight parasites aside fills

are responsible for allergic reactions

and anaphylaxis basophils secrete

histamine which is also allergy and type

1 hypersensitivity asthma patients for

example have tons of histamine basophil

and mast cells are synonymous the only

difference is basophils are in the blood

mast cells are in the tissue monocytes

macrophages histiocytes cup for cell

microglia all of these are synonymous

the difference is the location monocytes

are in the blood macrophages or

histiocytes are in the tissue because

histology is the science of studying

tissue histo means tissue cup for cell

or in the liver microglia are in the

nervous system they are one of the

neuroglial cells if you remember my

previous lectures neutrophils are the

cells of acute inflammation lymphocytes

are the cells of chronic inflammation

neutrophils fight bacteria lymphocytes

fight viruses and fungi we have bacteria

in the extracellular fluid oh this

bacteria is going to kill me how do i

fight bacteria i have to get my military

especially neutrophils because this is a

bacteria neutrophils will leave the

blood and will go to the tissue to kill

that stupid bacteria this process is

known as acute inflammation and since

these are pus cells this can cause pus

formation white blood cells are your

military officers we'll talk about

immunity in the upcoming section in this

playlist but for now i would like you to

remember just like there is no born

champion there is no born mature

lymphocyte they all start as naive and

lazy and stupid but once they recognize

foreigners they get activated they will

mature they will remember the infection

so that if i see the same stupid

bacteria again the second response is

going to be stronger and faster don't

mess with my lymphocytes remember the

lymphoid stem cells in the bone marrow

yep they give you b lymphocytes and t

lymphocytes but just let's focus on the

b lymphocytes b lymphocytes can mature

to give you memory b cells to remember

and plasma cells plasma cells will

secrete the antibodies and we have many

types such as igm iga igg ige and igd

magid don't forget that these antibodies

are gamma globulins we're done with red

blood cells we're done with white blood

cells let's talk about platelets

platelets are here they come from

megakaryocytes

the white blood cell

had a nucleus the red blood cell does

not have a nucleus the platelet is not

even a cell it's a piece of a cell what

kind of cell the mother the

megakaryocyte the megakaryocyte is a big

huge respected cell in the community

this big cell rupture pew and was

dissipated and disseminated into a

thousand piece each piece of this debris

is a platelet platelets do not have a

nucleus and therefore no ability to

divide they are just pieces of the

megakaryocyte after explosion if you had

a small paper cut like this don't worry

first your vessels will constrict then

comes the platelet this is primary

hemostasis to make platelet plug and try

to stop the bleeding and this will be

followed by your coagulation factors or

secondary hemostasis all of this was

discussed in great detail in my bleeding

and coagulation playlist the coagulation

cascade was also discussed in my

bleeding and coagulation playlist if you

like this video you will love my renal

physiology course available at

mitochosis perfectionalist.com

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