Physicochemical properties of blood, blood functions

Without blood, life is impossible. In the human body, it performs a number of important functions. There are several of them, but it is difficult to overestimate these properties. The state of the blood depends on the work of the heart, organs and blood vessels.

The functions and characteristics of the body determine the physicochemical properties of the blood. To understand them, it is necessary to go deeper into the study of the physiology of the human body. Separately, we should consider the constituent elements of the blood, as well as the properties of the plasma.

general characteristics

Blood is necessary for a person for a number of reasons. It is a subspecies of connective tissue. The blood consists of uniform cells and a liquid substance (plasma).

The first group includes erythrocytes, platelets and leukocytes. Each type of blood corpuscle performs certain functions. There are up to 45% of them in whole blood. Plasma is an intercellular fluid and is 55% of the total mass.

The ratio of the shaped particles of blood to its total volume is called hematocrit. Sexual accessory affects the physicochemical properties of blood. The physiology of the representatives of the male suggests a hematocrit number from 41 to 48%, and in the female - from 37 to 43%. Its level is regulated by various mechanisms of the human body. It can be a change in absorption and isolation of salts, thirst, regulation of protein metabolism or the production of red blood cells.

For example, when climbing mountains, where the atmosphere becomes more sparse, the hematocrit increases because of the need to increase the supply of oxygen to the body. The blood volume, which is in the body of an adult, reaches about 5 liters. This is approximately 7% of its total mass.

Why do I need blood?

Functions and physicochemical properties of blood ensure normal functioning of the human body. The main tasks of this substance include transport, regulatory, thermoregulatory qualities, as well as protective properties and maintenance of tissue regeneration.

The transport function consists of several aspects. The circulatory system carries oxygen to the tissues, taking away carbon dioxide (respiratory function) from them. Also, the transport qualities include the delivery of nutrients to all systems. This group includes excretory administration of blood. It collects the final products of cellular metabolism and transports them to the organs of secretion.

The thermoregulatory purpose of blood is the transfer of heat from the place of its formation to other systems. Maintenance of tissue regeneration and homeostasis is due to metabolic processes.

Blood also regulates the transfer of hormones and other substances. A protective function is to provide an immune function. For this, a number of processes occur in the human body.

Basic properties

In order for a person to feel good, it is necessary to maintain all the functions of blood in the norm. But in addition, there are a number of indicators that characterize the health of the body. These are the basic physicochemical properties of blood. Briefly, they can be listed, but each requires more detailed consideration.

The main indicators of the state of the circulatory system are oncotic and osmotic pressure, suspension properties. Also important is a sign such as colloidal plasma stability. The main qualities that are also evaluated in the laboratory study are the density and viscosity characteristics of the blood. All listed properties should be in norm, otherwise the person's well-being worsens significantly, since the blood flows through all the systems, feeding every cell. Her health depends directly on her characteristics.

Osmotic type of pressure

Considering the basic physicochemical properties of blood, it is first of all necessary to pay attention to its quality, like the osmotic type of pressure. This indicator depends on the level of concentration of dissolved substances in the plasma.

It can be non-electrolytes and electrolytes. All these components exert a certain pressure. NaCl creates most of this exposure. Inorganic components in their totality account for 95% of the total osmotic pressure.

Normally in an adult this figure is 7.5-7.6 atm. This so-called physiological solution, the salt content of which is 0.86%. But if the indicator of NaCl content increases, then its concentration and, accordingly, the pressure. This solution is called "hypertonic." Falling the same concentration of salt leads to a decrease in pressure. This leads to the appearance of a hypotonic type of solution.

Deviations of osmotic pressure

Violation of the physico-chemical properties of blood relative to osmotic pressure leads to malfunctions of the system. The physiological medium, on this principle, facilitates the passage of the solution through semipermeable membranes. And the movement is carried out from a liquid with a lower salt concentration to a more saturated one.

When hypertonic type of solution, red blood cells lose water, which leads to their wrinkling. If a reduced pressure type is observed, then they increase. In this case, red blood cells can even burst. This process is called hemolysis osmotic. Lack of red blood cells is dangerous for humans.

Oncotic type of pressure

In a colloidal environment, proteins are also capable of creating pressure, so it is important to know the hematological chemical composition. The physico-chemical properties of blood are also examined by the criterion of the oncotic variety of pressure.

Proteins contained in the plasma, difficult to overcome the thin capillary vessels. Oncotic pressure allows you to accumulate water in the blood. It is created mainly by albumins. Their number in the plasma is the highest.

If, for some reason, the number of albumins in the plasma is underestimated, the tissues begin to swell. As the concentration increases, the reverse process occurs. A significant amount of water is retained in the circulatory system. Violations of this indicator are also felt by a person.

Stability of colloidal

Colloidal stability, which is observed in plasma, also enters into the physicochemical properties of the blood. The physiology of this process is provided by the hydration of protein molecules.

On their shell there is a double electric ionic coating. They constitute the so-called surface potential. It can also be caused by the slip that occurs on the surface of the particle. It is carried out in solution. This process forms on the surfaces of uniform charges, in which the particles repel.

Such processes determine the stability of colloidal solutions, prevent the formation of clusters. The higher the value of the potential, the stronger the protein particles are removed from each other.

The degree of stability of this solution is called the zeta potential. Because of the predominant content in the plasma among all proteins namely albumins, the colloidal stability depends mainly on them.

Suspension qualities

Investigating the physico-chemical properties of blood, we should pay attention to the suspension properties. They are associated with the stability of proteins in the plasma. Cellular units should normally be maintained in a suspended state. The sedimentation rate of erythrocytes (ESR) is the main criterion for the suspension properties of blood.

Evaluation of this process is carried out in a fixed blood volume. Albumins are adsorbed on the surface of red blood cells. The more they accumulate, the higher the suspension capacity.

If the level of globulins or other large-molecule unstable proteins increases in the blood, then the ESR will increase. Suspension properties in this case are reduced. The norm of this indicator in men is 5-11 mm / h, and for the female - 6-12 mm / h.

Blood viscosity

Physicochemical properties of blood are studied in the context of its viscosity characteristics. They are important not less than other indicators.

Viscosity is the ability of some particles with respect to others to resist fluid motion due to frictional force. This is a complex process of interaction in the blood of water, molecules of colloids on the one hand, shaped elements and plasma - on the other.

The viscosity of the plasma for this reason is significantly different from that of the blood. They can be compared with water. In this case, the plasma viscosity is 1.9-2.4 times higher, and in blood - 5 times. If the number of erythrocytes rises, the number of hematocrit increases, the viscosity increases.

Viscosity increase

Deviations are also possible in the viscous index, which characterizes the physico-chemical properties of the blood. Pathophysiology considers this process in a complex. In addition to the increase in erythrocytes, it can be influenced by the change in plasma. The more concentration of high-molecular proteins in it, the higher the viscosity index.

This is also facilitated by a suspension of blood quality. If erythrocytes form accumulations, the viscosity also increases.

Blood is a heterogeneous structure. Lowering blood pressure can also increase its viscosity. And, conversely, the decrease in viscosity occurs under the influence of high pressure. System structuring breaks down. If the capillaries narrow to 150 microns or less, the viscosity decreases. From this indicator, the work of the cardiovascular system of a person directly depends.

Specific gravity

The change in the physicochemical properties of the blood is reflected in the work of each body system. On the control it is necessary to hold and such parameter, as specific gravity. It depends on the number of erythrocytes, as well as the hemoglobin contained in them.

The composition of the plasma, indisputably, plays an important role. The specific gravity of blood is 1.05-1.06 in an adult. In men, the number of red blood cells is higher, so this figure is slightly more significant.

In conditions of increased loss of body moisture (for example, in hot weather, in a stuffy room) the specific weight of blood rises. The plasma is lower than in erythrocytes. Therefore, with loss of fluid, the hematocrit rises. To bring this figure back to normal, the brain sends a signal of thirst. This allows you to replenish water supplies. Therefore, on a hot day, the need for a large amount of liquid increases.

Plasma

Physico-chemical properties of blood plasma also deserve detailed consideration. Due to the protein contained in this protein, a number of functions are performed.

Plasma regulates water-salt metabolism, maintains osmotic pressure. This is very important for normal health. Due to the oncotic pressure, it provides the necessary level of homeostasis. Thanks to the plasma, viscosity properties, coagulability, protective functions are also maintained.

This medium is involved in maintaining the correct level of acid-base balance. Plasma is a reserve of amino acids. This allows the blood to fulfill its nutritional functions. In the plasma, hormones and fatty acids are transported.

Having examined the physico-chemical properties of blood, one can understand its importance for the organism. Maintaining all the characteristics at the proper level is the key to the health and proper functioning of the entire cardiovascular system. Even minor deviations in the indices and properties of blood, its plasma affect the person's well-being.

To the body's signals you need to listen for your own good. If any components are not enough for the normal functioning of the circulatory system, a person will feel unsatisfactory. In such cases it is necessary to consult a hematologist.