2.1 Describe the constituents of plasma and explain their functions.

Blood is a specialised tissue and is the only tissue in your body that flows. Plasma is the liquid part of blood and it consists of clear water and other solutions such as nutrients like glucose, fats and amino acids. It also contains important chemicals such as sodium, potassium and calcium, special proteins such as fibrinogen, albumin and various globulins that produce antibodies and hormones.
The role of the plasma is the body is to transport food and oxygen to the cells in parts of the body and carries waste away from the cells. It also helps with homeostasis by maintaining the body’s chemical balance and keeps a stable internal environment.
Blood consists of three cellular components red blood cells (RBC’s also known as erythrocytes), White blood cells (WBC’s also known as leukocytes) and Platelets.

White blood cells activate antibodies that go to work destroying any bacteria, virus, fungi or parasite entering the body. Red blood cells have an important job of picking up oxygen in the lungs and transporting it to the rest of the body. Platelets are fragments of cells responsible for clotting they are vital to people when they cut themselves as this clots the blood and stops you bleeding. When the platelet touches the roughened edges of the torn blood vessel, they burst open releasing chemicals that set off a reaction in the blood leaking out. The convert one of the plasma’s protein’s Fibrinogen into a network of fibers that trap Red blood cells and they form a clot to seal the leak (http://www.nsbri.org/HumanPhysSpace/focus3/earthphys-frame.html). Red blood cells and Plasma plays an important role in transportation. They all play a part in regulating the body.