What is blood plasma?

Blood plasma is the yellow liquid part of our blood. It makes up more than half of our blood. It is very important. If you take a tube of blood and spin it very fast in a machine, the red blood cells go to the bottom. The plasma is the liquid on top. It looks like a light yellow colour.

This plasma does many jobs in our body. It is like a delivery truck. It carries the blood cells all around our body. The red cells, the white cells, and the platelets all float in the plasma. But it also carries other important things. It carries nutrients from the food we eat. These nutrients go from our stomach to all our muscles and organs. It also takes away the waste. This waste goes to our kidneys to be removed from the body.

Another very important job is to carry proteins. These proteins help our blood to clot if we get a cut. This stops the bleeding. The plasma also has antibodies. These help us fight sickness and infections. Doctors can even take plasma from one person and give it to another person who is sick. This can help the sick person get better because they get the antibodies. This is called plasma donation. I saw an ad for it once on the telly.

So, plasma is not the blood cells themselves. It is the liquid that holds them. Without plasma, our blood would just be thick and could not flow. It is a very special part of our blood that keeps us healthy and alive. It is amazing what our bodies can do.

Blood plasma is the liquid base of your blood. It makes up over half of your blood's volume. This yellowish fluid carries your red and white blood cells, plus platelets. It's mostly water, but it also transports vital proteins, nutrients, and hormones throughout your body. It’s essential stuff, for sure.