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Plasma

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Objectives

When you have completed this section, you should be able to

• distinguish between plasma and serum;

• list the proteins of blood plasma and state their functions;

• name the nonprotein nitrogenous compounds of blood plasma and explain their significance; and

• list the major nutrients, gases, and electrolytes found in plasma.

Blood plasma is a complex mixture of proteins, enzymes, nutrients, wastes, hormones, and gases (table 18.3). If we allow blood to clot and then remove the solids, we are left with a fluid called the blood serum, which is essentially identical to plasma except for the absence of clotting proteins.