Blood is made up of four components: Plasma Red blood cells White blood cells platelets

Plasma Most materials transported in blood travel in the plasma. Plasma is the liquid part of blood. Water makes up 90% of plasma. The other 10% is dissolved materials. Plasma also carries hormones (chemical messengers).

Proteins give plasma its yellow color. There are three groups of plasma proteins: Regulate the amount of water in the blood. Produced by white blood cells, helps fight diseases. Interacts with platelets to form blood clots.

Red Blood Cells Take up oxygen from the lungs and distributes it to cells everywhere in your body. They can bend and twist easily. This flexibility enables them to squeeze through narrow capillaries. Made mostly of hemoglobin, which is an iron containing protein that binds chemically with oxygen. When combine with oxygen, they are bright red. W/out oxygen, they are dark red.

Red blood cells Mature red blood cells have no nuclei.

White Blood Cells Produced in bone marrow. One WBC for every 500-1000 RBC’s Have Nuclei Larger than RBC’s Used to fight diseases

Platelets Cell fragments which help form blood clots. Stick to wounded site and release chemicals which help form a protein called fibrin.