Plasma Power

5 things you didn’t know about blood plasma

Plasma Power

5 things you didn’t know about blood plasma

October 8, 2024

Plasma is a part of your blood and plays a crucial role in medical treatments. Here are five surprising facts about it to understand its importance and how plasma derived therapies are saving lives.

Plasma, the liquid part of your blood, does a lot of heavy lifting to keep your body running smoothly. It contains clotting factors and antibodies and carries nutrients, hormones, and oxygen, while also helping remove waste. Plasma is essential in treating conditions like blood loss and to treat autoimmune diseases. But plasma has even more fascinating roles that you might not know about. Here are five facts about plasma and plasma-donation that could surprise you.

bag of donated plasma

Fact 1: plasma makes up over half of your blood

Did you know that plasma makes up to 55% of your blood? It’s the light-yellow liquid part that carries everything from nutrients to antibodies. Plasma is mostly water (around 91-92%) but also contains important solids like:

  • coagulants, which enhance coagulation;

  • antibodies, which enhance the immune response;

  • salts, such as sodium, calcium, and potassium;

  • proteins, such as albumin.

Your body forms plasma by absorbing water and salts through digestion – no organs are needed to make it.

Fact 2: plasma is a universal transport system

Think of plasma as your body’s ultimate delivery system. It transports essential substances like:

  • nutrients, such as amino acids, proteins, and vitamins;

  • hormones;

 

  • oxygen.

Plasma also helps get rid of waste products and keeps your body’s salt levels balanced, a process called homeostasis, which is key to staying healthy.

Fact 3: plasma can be stored for over a year

Plasma donation is made possible thanks to a special process called apheresis, where a machine collects only the plasma but returns the rest of your blood back to you.

Once collected, plasma is frozen within 24 hours, to keep all the components and properties intact.

The great thing about plasma? It can be stored for up to a year! Once thawed, though, it needs to be used within 24 hours to stay safe and effective.

Fact 4: plasma donation is different from blood donation

Plasma donation is quite different from donating blood. When you donate blood, the whole thing is taken, but with plasma, only the liquid portion is collected through a process called plasmapheresis. Because plasma is so abundant and regenerates quickly, you can donate plasma more often than blood – every week compared to every eight for blood donations.

Before donating plasma, it’s important to be in good health. You might need to wait if you’ve recently had a tattoo or certain medical procedures, but your donation still makes a big difference. In fact, each donation comes with a health screening, which is good for you and the people relying on your plasma.

Fact 5: plasma is used in more medical treatments than you think

Plasma plays a huge role in medicine and is used in a variety of life-saving treatments, for situations and conditions that include:

  • emergencies like trauma and blood loss;

  • clotting disorders like hemophilia;

  • autoimmune diseases.

Special programs, like the Anti-D program for newborns with hemolytic disease, also rely on plasma. And beyond that, plasma is crucial for research into new treatments and better patient care.

Five insights about blood plasma

In conclusion, plasma does more than you may think:

  • it is the largest part of your blood;

  • it is a fundamental transport system in your body;

  • it can be stored for up to a year;

  • plasma donation is different from blood donation;

  • it can be used to treat trauma, immune deficiencies and clotting disorders, and supports cutting-edge research.

Donating plasma is an incredible way to help others. If you’re in good health, consider donating and making a life-saving difference today. Share these facts to inspire even more people to give!

FAQs

Do you still have doubts about plasma donation? Our FAQs section will hopefully clear them up. Remember that our medical team and staff is always there to answer all your question in person.
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