This Wikipedia article may help: Blood plasma - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Perhaps the key points are that blood plasma is the liquid medium in which all other components of blood are suspended and transported; it constitutes around 55% of the total blood volume; it carries some oxygen in dissolved form; and it delivers nutrients to the tissues to nourish the body; and if the volume of plasma falls below a certain quotient, death will result. Also, with the advent of blood banking only two components of blood were originally stored: red blood cells and plasma—both used for their resuscitation properties.

So is plasma that has had the cellular components removed "blood", or not? Or are red cells that have been separated from the plasma "blood", or not? No doubt it could be argued either way from a medical standpoint, so perhaps it should come back to the patient's perception as the recipient of a plasma transfusion. Does the patient see it as blood, or not?

The four major components of blood are red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), plasma, and platelets. Without any one of these, blood cannot perform its primary functions in the body of oxygenation, without which there can be no nourishment of the cells. The plasma is required for transport of oxygen and other nutrients to the tissues that need them, and to facilitate delivery at the cellular level. In addition, it cannot remain in the proper place (the veins and arteries) unless there are adequate levels of proteins such as albumin, which helps keep the plasma from leaking into the tissues and staying there. Without WBCs, the body cannot fight off harmful organisms that can damage or kill it. Without platelets, the smallest bump or puncture can allow substantial amounts of blood to leave the body since without platelets the blood will not clot. Persons can survive without a number of other components of blood that don't relate directly to keeping the body's cells alive and working at the basic level required for survival (possibly not without severe disease and ultimately early death). But without the four main components, the blood can't perform the basic purpose of tissue oxygenation and waste disposal (it also carries CO2 and other waste substances out of cells and into organs designed to recycle or dispose of these.) So I would guess that at least these four main components need to be considered intrinsic to blood, and as such should be viewed as blood. That would be my take on it.

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Jan Grossberg, RN, BSN
Editorial Team