Anatomy & Physiology Circulatory #12

Question

Which substance enables and controls the osmotic pressure of the blood?

Answers

1. Water

   • While water is a primary component of plasma, it does not enable and control the osmotic pressure of the blood.

2. Albumin

   • Plasma albumin is a protein that enables and controls the osmotic pressure of the blood thus enabling electrolytes, hormones, oxygen, and nutrients to enter the cells and tissues of the body.

3. Nutrients

   • While nutrients are contained in plasma, they do not enable and control the osmotic pressure of the blood.

4. Electrolytes

   • While electrolytes are contained in plasma, they do not enable and control the osmotic pressure of the blood.

Overview

Plasma is defined as the colorless fluid part of blood or lymph fluid in which corpuscles (i.e., fat globules) are suspended.

Learning Outcomes

Over 50% of the volume of blood is plasma and over 90% of plasma is water. The other main component of plasma is plasma albumin. This is a protein that enables and controls the osmotic pressure of the blood thus enabling electrolytes, hormones, oxygen, and nutrients to enter the cells and tissues of the body. In addition, plasma albumin also enables the elimination of wastes from the cells and tissues of the body.

Test Taking Tip

Consider the function of each substance to answer this question correctly.