What is Plasma? Plasma is a straw-colored fluid that contains nutrients, electrolytes, water, and hormones.
It also consists of three plasma proteins: 1.) Albumin is a plasma protein that helps keep water in the blood. 2.) Globulin includes the antibodies and other transport proteins in the blood. 3.) Fibrinogen helps aid in clotting the blood.
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Plasmapheresis When a person donates blood, plasmapheresis is an option for the donor. Plasmapheresis is the process by which blood plasma is collected at donation centers.
1.) In order to do this, a needle is inserted into a vein. 2.) Blood is then taken from that vein and directed into a machine that spins the blood. 3.) Dense cells and other materials sink to the bottom. 4.) These are then filtered out and when the right amount of plasma is collected, the other blood components are returned to the body. |