Plasma and Serum

Plasma 

Plasma is a light-colored, amber-colored liquid blood component with no blood cells, but contains whole blood proteins and other components in suspension. It accounts for about 55% of the total blood volume in the body. This is the intravascular part of extracellular fluid (all extracellular fluid). It is mainly composed of water (up to 95% by volume), important lysing proteins (6-8%, serum albumin, globulin, fibrinogen, etc.), glucose, coagulation factors, electrolytes (Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Cl⁻, HCO₃, Etc.), hormones, carbon dioxide (plasma is the main medium of excrement transport) and oxygen. It plays an important role in the intravascular osmolality effect that balances electrolyte levels and protects the body from infections and other blood-related disorders.

Plasma is separated from the blood by rotating a tube of fresh blood containing an anticoagulant in a centrifuge until the blood cells fall to the bottom of the tube. The plasma is then drained or aspirated. For point-of-care testing applications, plasma is extracted from whole blood by filtration or aggregation, allowing rapid testing of specific biomarkers. Plasma density is approximately 1,025 kg / m3 (1.025 g / ml).

Fresh frozen plasma is included in the WHO model list of essential medicines, the most important medicines needed in the basic healthcare system. It is essential in the treatment of many types of trauma that cause blood loss and is therefore widely stored in all medical facilities that can treat trauma (trauma centres, hospitals, ambulances, etc.). 

Plasma Proteins 

The most prevalent plasma proteins are serum albumins, which are responsible for maintaining blood osmotic pressure. The viscosity of blood would be closer to that of water if albumins were not present. Fluid cannot enter the bloodstream through the capillaries because of the increased viscosity of the blood. In the absence of a hepatocellular deficit, albumins are generated in the liver.

Functions of Plasma 

Plasma forms the liquid base of blood and therefore performs many functions in the body. Some of these features include a reliable source: 

1. Coagulation: Many important proteins such as fibrinogen, thrombin, and factor X are present in plasma and play an important role in the coagulation process to prevent human bleeding. 

2. Immunity: Plasma contains proteins that fight diseases such as antibodies and immunoglobulins that play an important role in the immune system by fighting pathogens.

3. Maintaining blood pressure and volume: A protein called albumin present in plasma helps maintain oncotic pressure. This prevents fluid from reaching areas of the body or skin where fluid normally does not collect. It also helps to ensure blood flow through the blood vessels. 

4.  pH Balance: Substances present in plasma act as buffers, allowing plasma to maintain a pH within the normal range and helping to support cellular function.

5. Transportation: Plasma in the blood helps transport nutrients, electrolytes, hormones, and other important elements throughout the body. It also helps eliminate waste products by delivering them to the liver, lungs, kidneys, or skin. 

6. Body temperature: Plasma helps maintain body temperature by coordinating the loss and increase of heat in the body.

Serum

Serum is a liquid and lysing component of blood and is not involved in coagulation. This can be defined as plasma that does not contain clotting factors, or blood that has all cells and clotting factors removed. Serum contains all the proteins that are not used for blood clotting. All electrolytes, antibodies, antigens, hormones; and exogenous substances (such as drugs and microorganisms). Serum does not contain white blood cells (white blood cells), red blood cells (red blood cells), platelets, or clotting factors.

The study of serum is serology. Serum is used in many diagnostic tests as well as in drawing blood. Measuring concentrations of different molecules can be useful for many applications, such as determining the therapeutic index of a drug in a clinical trial. Serum is obtained by allowing a blood sample to coagulate (coagulate). The sample is then centrifuged to remove the clot and blood cells, and the resulting supernatant is serum.

Functions of Serum 

Human serum is a circulating carrier of exogenous and endogenous body fluids in the blood. It allows substances to attach to and be buried in molecules in serum. Therefore, human serum helps transport fatty acids and thyroid hormones that act on most cells in the body. 

 Thyroid hormone is essential for the proper development and functioning of the body as it helps regulate bone growth and maturation, synthesize protein, and increase the body’s basal metabolic rate. Human serum also helps transport other fat-soluble hormones. 

Due to its unique role as a circulating carrier, human serum is used for protein binding of many drugs and promotes the distribution of the drug throughout the body. Human serum is used to distribute antibiotics throughout the body, and albumin allows the sclerosing substances in the antibiotics to bind and be transported throughout the body.

Human extra coagulant serum is a serum that can coagulate spontaneously after collection and is not exposed to anticoagulants. Human extracoccle serum is ideal for metabolic studies as it is available directly from individual donors in the original transfer pack. 

Human AB serum is collected from blood group AB donors and lacks antibodies to blood group A and B antigens. Human AB serum is used in cell therapy applications, transplantation, and tissue engineering

Serum and Plasma: Significance

Exogenous and endogenous liquids are transported throughout the body by the serum in the form of serum proteins. It enables chemicals to adhere to the molecules in the serum and become encapsulated inside it as a result. In this way, human serum assists in the transfer of fatty acids and thyroid hormones, which act on the majority of the cells in the human body.

They aid in the regulation of bone growth and maturation, protein synthesis, and the increase of the body’s basal metabolic rate, thyroid hormones are critical to the healthy development and functioning of the body. Additionally, human serum aids in the transfer of other hormones that are fat soluble.

The use of human serum in the protein binding of many medications is made possible by its particular role as a circulating carrier. This allows drugs to be distributed more effectively throughout the body. It is necessary to use human serum in order to spread antibiotics throughout the body, and albumin is required in order for the curative compounds in antibiotics to bind and be transported throughout the body.

The fundamental job of plasma is to take nutrients, hormones, and proteins to the regions of the body that require it. The waste products of cells are also deposited in the plasma

Conclusion 

Serum and plasma are obtained from the liquid portion of blood that accumulates when cells are removed. However, there are significant differences between plasma and serum. Serum is liquid that remains after the blood clots. Plasma is the liquid that remains when an anticoagulant is added to prevent coagulation.