Health and Social Care Essay examples

Submitted By woodylass95
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Plasma: also known as blood plasma is a liquid. It is the yellow component in blood. The plasma is the intravascular fluid which is part of extracellular fluid (all body fluid outside of the cells). The fluid is mostly mad from water but contains dissoluble proteins, glucose, mineral ions, clotting factors, hormones and carbon dioxide.
Tricuspid valve: is a valve of the heart. It is sat between the right atrium and right ventricle. The tricuspid valve allows blood to pass from the atrium to the ventricle, it closes to prevent the back flow to the right atrium when the ventricle contracts.

Bicuspid valve: the bicuspid valve is one of the valves to the heart, the valve is sat between the left atrium and the left ventricle, unlike the tricuspid valve it allows blood to flow one way only that is from the left atrium to the left ventricle.

Platelets: also known as thrombocytes. Platelets are small clear fragments. They are transported from fragmentation of precursor megalcaryocytes. The normal life span for platelets is between 5 and 9 days. Platelets are natural growth factors. The human blood doesn’t keep consistent the body needs ways to protect its self, this is when platelets come in. The platelets form a scab once you have had a cut. The platelets need help to form a scab these are calcium, vitamin k and a protein called fibrinogen these all work together to form a clot/scab.

Arteries: arteries carry blood away from the heart. The blood that the arteries carry is most of the time oxygenated apart from the pulmonary artery and the umbilical arteries. Arteries are tough on the outside and smooth on the inside. Arteries have three layers and outer layer of tissue a muscular middle and an inner layer of epithelial cells. The middle muscle has an elastic type of effect so therefore it can let blood flow easily through. The muscular wall of an artery this helps the heart pump the blood when the heart contracts the arteries fill with blood when the heart relaxes it forces the blood to pass through along the arteries.

Veins: veins are blood vessels, the carry blood back to the heart, the blood id deoxygenated apart from the pulmonary and umbilical veins. Veins receive blood from the capillaries after the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide has taken place. The structure is very similar to the arteries, they have three layers they have a strong outer layer. The middle layer consists of smooth muscle and elastic fibres; the layer is thinner in veins than arteries. The inner layer called the tunica intimae has direct contact with blood flowing through the vein. It consists of smooth endothelial cells. A vein also like arteries has a backflow of blood.

Capillaries: capillaries are also blood vessels; the capillaries connect the arterioles and vacuoles to complete a circuit. Red blood cells pass through the capillaries. Capillaries are one of the smallest of all blood vessels. Capillaries have very thin walls. The capillaries allow substances to pass through the wall with ease. The size of capillaries measure to about 5-10 micrometres in width.

White blood cells: also known as leukocytes, are the immune system cells. They defend the