Transport in humans

Blood:
 Identify red and white blood cells (lymphocytes and phagocytes) as seen
under the light microscope on prepared slides, and in diagrams and
photomicrographs
 List the components of blood as red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets
and plasma
 State the functions of the components of blood: (a) red blood cells – oxygen
transport (b) white blood cells – antibody production by lymphocytes and
engulfing pathogens by phagocytes (c) platelets – clotting by converting
soluble fibrinogen to insoluble fibrin to prevent blood loss and the entry of
pathogens (d) plasma – transport, limited to: blood cells, ions, glucose,
amino acids, hormones, carbon dioxide, urea, vitamins and plasma proteins
 Describe the transfer of substances between blood in capillaries, tissue fluid
and body cells
Blood is a Red fluid made of connective tissue Blood
----containing group of cells
Blood performs 2 important functions:
 substance carrier
 body protection against diseases & injuries.
Blood composed of :-
 Red Blood Cells (erythrocytes)
 White Blood Cells (leucocytes)
 Platelets (thrombocytes)
 Plasma – consist of:-
• Water, plasma proteins
• Breakdown products of digestion, such
as glucose, fatty acids and amino acids
• Dissolved mineral salts
• Carbon Dioxide
• Urea
 plasma
90% of it is water, carries material from one place to
other
 Pale yellow watery fluid contain dissolved proteins
(albumin, globulin, fibrinogen, prothrombin),
 Mineral salts (ions of Cl, HCO3, SO4, PO4 of sodium,
potassium & calcium for clotting),
 Food substances --glucose, amino acids, fats &
vitamins
 Hormones, enzymes, lipids
 Excretory products --urea, uric acid, creatinine, CO2
in form of HCO3
If every thing in
 Maintain body temperature by distributing the heat plasma was
produced in different metabolic activities removed it would
 Fat droplets in suspension appear like this

• RBC, WBC & platelets

 Produced by bone marrow of certain bones in the Red blood cells
skeleton: ribs, vertebrae & breast bone,
 Circular, flattened, biconcave disc shape, Centre thinner
than edges
 Spongy cytoplasm enclosed in an elastic cell membrane,
lack nucleus
 Elastic so can squeeze easily (becomes bell shape) as they
pass through capillaries smaller than it
 Extremely small (2x7um) -- diameter <0.01mm
 Numerous (4-5000000/mm3)-- number varies to health & sex
 Lifespan is 3-4 months (120 days) -- afterwards destroyed in
spleen & liver (iron & bile pigments)
 Red because of pigment haemoglobin(containing iron) --
enables RBC to readily combine with O2 while passing
through capillaries surrounding lungs, making an unstable
oxyhaemoglobin (giving bright red colour to blood) & drop it
as well while passing through capillaries surrounding body
tissues that contain less O .
 Irregular shape White blood cells
 Contains nucleus
 About 10um in diameter, Larger than RBC
 Capable of amoeboid movement
 Can change shape & squeezes through gaps in capillary
walls in tissue fluid
 Colorless because of absence of haemoglobin
 Fewer (5000-10000/mm3)(RBC: WBC = 700:1)
 Life span is only few days in blood, afterwards they are
removed by the ingestion activity of other WBCs
 Are of different types but two main kinds are:

Lymphocytes & Phagocytes [further divided]

 lymphocytes Phagocytes
 Produced by bone marrow, about 5000/mm3 of
 Basically antibodies & antitoxins blood.
produced by lymph glands or nodes  They collect at the site of infection, engulfing &
 Rounded in shape, has large rounded digesting harmful foreign particles (bacteria)
 Preventing spread of infection through the
nucleus& a small amount of non-
body
granular cytoplasm  Are of two types—
 Show limited movements o monocytes (bean shaped nucleus with non-
 About 2000/mm3 of blood granular cytoplasm)
o polymorph (many lobbed nucleus with
granular cytoplasm)
 PLATELETS
 Not true cells but fragments of cytoplasm made
in bone marrow,
 About 250000/mm3 of blood
 Plays role in blood clotting that seals the
wound, preventing excessive loss of blood &
stops entry of germs,
 Absence results in haemophilia--person may
bleed to death due to slight internal bleeding.
 A flowchart depicting the cascade of biochemical reactions involved
 In damaged vessel-- tissue & in the process of blood clotting.
platelets  release enzyme
thrombokinase converts
prothrombin in plasma into enzyme
thrombin  converts soluble
fibrinogen in plasma into insoluble
threads of fibrin which entangle
with blood corpuscles & forms clot
that dries & hardens to form a scab
which covers the wound until skin
beneath has repaired.
 In undamaged vessel blood doesn’t
clot because of anticlotting
substance “Heparin” produced by
liver, (thrombokinase release &
neutralizes heparin)
Tissue fluid is blood plasma along with dissolved
material, some WBC and smaller proteins that leak Tissue fluid
out of gaps in capillary wall into the minute spaces
between tissue cells
It is without RBC, plasma proteins & some of the
WBC
Phagocytes with their own effort are able to
squeeze out of gaps.
Transfer of materials between blood in
capillaries and tissue cells:-
 Tissue cells are bathed in tissue fluid
 Tissue fluid allows diffusion of substances
between blood in capillaries and tissue cells
 Dissolved food substances and O2 diffuse out Blood Pressure at the arterial end of capillary is
from the blood capillaries into tissue fluid then high so while passing plasma along with
into the cells
smaller molecules in solution without RBC &
 Excretory products diffuse out from the cells
into the tissue fluid and then through the larger proteins leak out through gaps into the
capillary walls into the blood minute spaces between tissue cells forming
tissue fluid
Tissue fluid plays a very big role in
substance exchange between blood and
cells which are not in direct contact with
the blood e-g in nerve tissue or in cartilage
cells are bathed in this fluid. They
exchange their content of oxygen and
nutrients with the cells and take carbon
dioxide and waste products.
Tissue Fluid Formation:
At arteriole end blood pressure is higher
{with more water potential} so plasma keep
on moving out, blood will lose its liquid part
so to prevent this at the venule end of the
capillary where BP is lower than the
osmotic pressure the tissue fluid enter
back into the capillary by osmosis, and
become plasma again, but not all of it.
Lymphatic system A little of tissue fluid is collected into a system of
vein-like vessels called lymphatic vessel and
becomes lymph.
The lymphatic vessel takes the lymph to the blood
stream by secreting them in a vein in the neck
called subclavian vein.
The lymph in the vessels are moved along by the
squeeze of muscles against the vessel, just like
some veins.
In this system at certain places like neck & armpit
there are structures called lymph nodes involve in
production of lymphocytes
Function of lymphatic system:
 Production of WBC lymphocytes
 Transport of digested fats from villi to blood
stream
 Drains tissue fluids & transport lymph to the
blood stream
 Function of component of blood
 red blood cells – oxygen transport
 white blood cells ----Defence against
infections----– antibody production by
lymphocytes and engulfing pathogens by
phagocytes
 platelets – clotting by converting soluble
fibrinogen to insoluble fibrin to prevent
blood loss and the entry of pathogens
 plasma – Transport of material from one
part of body to oth----- blood cells, ions,
glucose, amino acids, hormones, carbon
dioxide, urea, vitamins and plasma
proteins
 Homeostatic function
Tissue transplant from a member of the same family
is more likely to be successful
• Each person has unique set of genes and genes make
proteins
• Therefore proteins are different in different people
• relatives have common genes;
• relatives have similar proteins;
• relatives have similar tissues;
• blood groups must be the same;
• white blood cells or lymphocytes-- make antibodies against
foreign protein / antigens;
• greater chance of rejection if not related / less chance if related