Peripheral blood
Peripheral blood is the circulating blood in the body, as opposed to blood located in the heart or in the blood vessels. It is the fluid that the circulatory system uses to deliver nutrients, oxygen, and hormones to the cells of the body. It also transports waste products away from those same cells.
Composition[edit | edit source]
Peripheral blood is composed of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
- Plasma: This is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells are suspended. It makes up about 55% of the body's total blood volume. It is a mixture of water, sugar, fat, protein, and salts.
- Red blood cells (RBCs): Also known as erythrocytes, these are the most common type of blood cell and the body's principal means of delivering oxygen to the body tissues via the blood flow through the circulatory system.
- White blood cells (WBCs): Also known as leukocytes, these are the cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders.
- Platelets: Also called thrombocytes, these are a component of blood whose function is to react to bleeding from blood vessel injury by clumping, thereby initiating a blood clot.
Functions[edit | edit source]
Peripheral blood serves several key functions in the body:
- Transportation: It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and carbon dioxide from the body to the lungs to be exhaled. It also transports nutrients, hormones, and waste products.
- Regulation: It helps regulate body temperature, pH, and fluid balance.
- Protection: It carries cells and antibodies that fight infection and platelets that control bleeding.
Clinical significance[edit | edit source]
Peripheral blood is often used in diagnostic tests, such as blood tests, to assess a person's health and detect disease. It can also be used in blood transfusions.
See also[edit | edit source]
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