Jessie Maher

1. Jessie Maher

2. What is the composition of blood? 55 % of the blood is the plasma, about 45 % is Red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells • Plasma • 55% of the blood is plasma • Liquid section that transports blood cells around your body, with wastes, nutrients, hormones, antibodies etc. • Platelets • About 1% of the blood. • The platelets clot the blood. • When blood loss occurs at a wound for example, the platelets will move to the area of injury and clot the blood to prevent excess blood loss. • Platelets are made in the bone marrow. • Red Blood Cells • Makes up 45 % of the total blood. • Also made in bone marrow. • Contain pigment haemoglobin • Carries oxygen from lungs to the cells/tissues and can remove carbon dioxide from the tissues. • White Blood Cells • Around 1% of the blood is white blood cells. • Also known as Leukocytes • Made in the bone marrow, less white blood cells than red blood cells • Function is to fight infection, important part of immune system- eg phagocytes. Interstitial fluid - Doesn’t contain red blood cells, platelets etc.

3. Diagram of the blood composition This diagram shows that the clear plasma makes up 55% of the blood when separated. The red blood cells makes up about 45% of the total, and White blood cells and platelets make up a very small percentage .

4. What parts of donated blood are extracted? • List of parts that are extracted: • Red blood cells ( Red blood cell concentrate) • Platelets • Plasma • White blood cells ( White blood cell concentrate ) • Cryoprecipitate

5. How are the parts separated? Whole Blood Donations • The blood can be donated as a whole blood donation. • This contains all the necessary parts that we need for different uses. • After the donation, the blood bag at a laboratory for example is placed in a centrifuge. • The centrifuge which has different speeds- separates the components of blood depending on their weight by spinning. Lighter products ( plasma ) at the top and heavier products like Red blood cells will move to the bottom. • The red blood cells are separated, and the rest of the blood can be centrifuged to separate platelets. • The cryoprecipitate is separated from the plasma. The plasma is frozen and thawed, we can separate this part from the plasma. Adpheresis Donations • The parts of the blood can also be separated when the donor is actually giving the blood. • Apheresis is the process of the donor giving a certain part of the blood for example platelets or plasma, and the rest of the blood is returned back to the body. • The blood passes through to the machine that has a centrifuge, it spins and separates the wanted substance. • Once this single product is separated, the rest of the blood is returned back to the body.

6. Diagram of separation using Adpheresis Donations This above diagram, shows the blood is taken into the machine, the machine separates the certain products using centrifuge and then the products that are not wanted/ needed are sent back to body. The adpheresis donation uses machine to separate the parts of the blood donation.

7. Diagram of Whole blood separation- centrifuge

8. Use of the extracted parts • Plasma • Plasma is the liquid section which transports blood cells and carries wastes, it also contains clotting materials. • Given to people to increase the volume of the blood after blood loss, or to patients with haemophilia. • Platelets • Used for blood clotting. • Given to patients who need more clotting material, eg. after blood loss. • Also used by leukaemia patients who need more platelets for clotting. • Cryoprecipitate • From the plasma, extracted via thawing of the frozen plasma. • Has clotting materials which are used by patients who are in surgery or have had a extreme amount of blood loss.

9. Continued… • White Blood cells • Used to fight infections, immune defence. • Given to a person who has a weak immune system, or has a disease which has effected their immune System. Aids is an example. • Red blood cells: • Used to increase the amount of oxygen that is taken to tissues/cells. • People who have anaemia, undergoing surgery, have a type of blood disease or have lost large amounts of blood will be given a red blood cell concentrate to increase the amount of oxygen that can be carried.

10. Important part of donated blood: Red Blood cells Red blood cells is one part of the blood that is separated from the blood and is very valuable. The graph above shows the variety of uses Red blood cells have, including already discussed anaemia patients, surgery and majority being people with cancer and blood disease ( 34 % ).

11. Artificial Blood • Artificial blood or blood substitutes aim to carry oxygen just like the red blood cells can, and have many positives compared to the donated blood. • Blood substitutes do not clot the blood or create immune defence. • Blood substitutes carry oxygen to tissues and carry carbon dioxide away and to increase to volume of the plasma. • When a lot of blood has been lost, solutions like saline with salts or other substances are added to the blood to increase the volume of blood. • The artificial product is necessary, as they may not need products from a donation, they just need a substance which can increase the volume.

12. Continued.. Two main types that have been tested: • One type of artificial blood carrier is Haemoglobin-based oxygen carriers. Treated haemoglobin from humans or animals, ( 2 haemoglobin are joined ) are placed in the blood and allows a great amount of oxygen to be carried from lungs around the body. • Another type of artificial blood is the Perflurocarbon- based carriers which can effectively transport oxygen around the blood in high amounts. They are joined to lipids. This is due to their smaller size compared to red blood cells, and the fact that they actually take in the oxygen while haemoglobin joins oxygen to it. Clearly, the two types of blood substitutes are much smaller than a normal red blood cell. They have the ability to transport more oxygen however.

13. The Need for artificial blood? • Artificial blood is very important in society, especially due to the pressure on donations as not enough people are donating , and the amount of blood products needed daily. • As people age, and the population increases, the need and demand for blood donations will increase. To keep up with this increase, artificial blood is a necessary product to allow a reliable source for all people. • The artificial blood is extremely useful as it does not have any diseases and it can be accepted by any patient. • The artificial blood is necessary due to the demand of blood donations. These substitutes can last for much longer and do not need refrigeration which allows them more accessible in many areas.

14. Artificial blood can be used for emergencies when a person has lost a large amount of blood and needs to increase the blood volume, and the oxygen carrying ability. • Artificial blood is compatible with all blood types, and vital for meeting demands of rare blood types • Artificial blood is very necessary in society, it can be used to save lives, and since the demand is constantly increasing we need to have extra sources to cope with the need for blood donations by using alternatives like artificial blood. • This area needs more research , it is a very important area for health. Some products need to be researched further, as we still cannot use artificial blood to completely replace the function of normal blood – which has components that allow clotting and immune defence.

15. Bibliography • Books • Jennifer, Hill. Alford, Diane. HSC Biology Excel. 2011: Pascal Press • Brotherton, Judith. Mudie, Kate. Heinemann Biology Second Edition. 2004: Heinemann • Martin, Marjory. Kinnear, Judith. Biology HSC Course 2. 2001: John Wiley and Sons Australia. • Videos Blood Component Processing- 2007. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMTtS2BbehI • Internet Sites: • http://www.lifeshare.cc/content.aspx?ID=13#doubleredcell Last Visited ( 22/11/2012) • http://www.donateblood.com.au/about-blood/three-types-of-donation Last visited ( 19/11/2012 • http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Blood_donation Last Visited ( 19/11/2012) • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_donation Last Visited ( 18/11/2012 ) • http://www.wisegeek.com/what-happens-to-donated-blood.html Last Visited ( 18/11/2012 ) • http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/anatomy/blood-function-and-composition/30#C3 Last Visited ( 22/11/2012) • http://www.livestrong.com/article/106131-white-blood-cells-functions/Last Visited ( 22/11/2012) • http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/artificial-blood4.htm • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_substituteLast Visited ( 22/11/2012) • http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/what-artificial-blood Last Visited ( 22/11/2012)