Reprinted through the courtesy of the editors of Awake!

magazine (issue of August 2006, page 8) 5 2010 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved.

BLOOD
PLASMA
PROTEINS 7%
ALBUMINS GLOBULINS FIBRINOGEN

The Composition of

WHITE BLOOD CELLS

(leukocytes) constitute less than 1 percent of whole blood. These attack and destroy potentially harmful foreign matter.

Blood donors generally give whole blood. In many cases, though, they donate plasma. While some countries transfuse whole blood, more commonly, blood is separated into its primary components before it is tested and used in transfusion medicine. Note the four primary components, their function, and the percentage of total blood volume each represents.

PLATELETS

PLASMA constitutes between 52 and

WATER 91.5%

(thrombocytes) constitute less than 1 percent of whole blood. These form clots, blocking blood from exiting wounds.

OTHER SUBSTANCES 1.5%

NUTRIENTS HORMONES RESPIRATORY GASES ELECTROLYTES VITAMINS NITROGENOUS WASTES

Just as blood plasma can be a source of various fractions, other primary components can be processed to isolate smaller parts, or fractions. For example, hemoglobin is a fraction of the red blood cell.

Page 1: Blood components in circles: This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, under contract N01-CO-12400. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government

62 percent of whole blood. It is a strawcolored uid in which blood cells, proteins, and other substances are suspended and transported. Water constitutes 91.5 percent of plasma. Proteins, from which plasma fractions are derived, constitute 7 percent of the plasma (including albumins, which make up about 4 percent of the plasma; globulins, about 3 percent; and brinogen, less than 1 percent). The remaining 1.5 percent of plasma is made up of other substances, such as nutrients, hormones, respiratory gases, electrolytes, vitamins, and nitrogenous wastes.

(erythrocytes) constitute between 38 and 48 percent of whole blood. These cells keep tissue alive by bringing oxygen to it and taking carbon dioxide away.

RED BLOOD CELLS

What Are Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carriers?

Within each red blood cell are some 300 million hemoglobin molecules. Hemoglobin represents about one third of the volume of a mature red cell. Each molecule contains the protein globin and a pigment called hemewhich includes an iron atom. When a red blood cell passes through the lungs, oxygen molecules penetrate the cell and attach themselves to hemoglobin molecules. Seconds later, the oxygen is discharged into body tissue, sustaining the life of HEMOGLOBIN MOLECULE the cells. Some manufacturers now process hemoglobin, releasing it from human or bovine red blood cells. The extracted hemoglobin is then ltered to remove impurities, chemically modied and puried, mixed with a solution, and packaged. The end productnot yet approved for use in most landsis called a hemoglobinbased oxygen carrier, or HBOC. Since the heme is responsible for the rich red color of blood, a unit of HBOC looks just like a unit of red blood cells, the primary component from which it is taken. Unlike red blood cells, which must be refrigerated and discarded after a few weeks, the HBOC can be stored at room temperature and used months later. And since the cell membrane with its unique antigens is gone, severe reactions due to mismatched blood types pose no threat. However, compared with other blood fractions, the HBOC presents more challenges to conscientious Christians, who seek to obey Gods law on blood. Why? As long as the HBOC is derived from blood, there are two objections that may be raised. One, the HBOC carries out the key function of a primary component of blood, the red cells. Two, hemoglobin, from which the HBOC is derived, makes up a signicant portion of that component. Regarding this and similar products, then, Christians face a very serious decision. They must carefully and prayerfully meditate on Bible principles concerning the sacredness of blood. With a keen desire to maintain a good relationship with Jehovah, each must be guided by his Bible-trained conscience.Galatians 6:5.

FRACTIONATION

The Use of Bloods Lesser Ingredients in Medicine

Science and technology make it possible to identify and extract elements from blood through a process called fractionation. To illustrate: Seawater, which is 96.5 percent water, can be divided through fractionation processes in order to capture the remaining substances present, such as magnesium, bromine and, of course, salt. Likewise, blood plasma, which makes up more than half the volume of whole blood, is over 90 percent water and can be processed to harvest fractions including proteins, such as albumin, brinogen, and various globulins. As part of a treatment or therapy, a doctor might recommend concentrated amounts of a plasma fraction. An example of such is protein-rich cryoprecipitate, which is obtained by freezing and then thawing plasma. This insoluble portion of plasma is rich in coagulation factors and is usually given to patients to stop bleeding. Other treatments may involve a product that contains a blood fraction, whether in trace amounts or as a primary ingredient.1 Some plasma proteins are used in routine injections that can help to increase immunity after exposure to infectious agents. Nearly all blood fractions being used in medical applications consist of the proteins found in blood plasma. According to Science News, scientists have identied only several hundred of the estimated thousands of proteins typically coursing through a persons bloodstream. As understanding of blood grows in the future, new products derived from these proteins may emerge.
1 Fractions from animal blood are also used in some products.