¿Cuáles son los componentes de la sangre y del sistema inmunitario?

Por Hilde Schjerven, Doctora en Medicina. Todos tenemos una idea general de lo que es la sangre. El corazón la bombea a través de nuestro propio cuerpo, y queremos que viva. La usamos para jurar amistad eterna. La usamos para salvar vidas. Si estamos enfermos, el médico puede analizar nuestra sangre para saber qué nos pasa. Pero, ¿cómo refleja la sangre que estamos enfermos y por qué es tan crucial para la vida?

Sangre

What are the components of blood? If you lose too much blood, for example in a lesión or an accident, it may be life-threatening, and you might require a blood transfusion. We have the ability to donate up to half a liter, which is roughly 10 percent of our total blood volume, however such blood donation requires overall good health, and time to rest and recuperate afterwards.

Roughly half of the blood volume includes different blood cells, while the other half is blood plasma, the liquid that allows your blood to flow through your entire body. Every component in the bloodstream has their own important role, which is introduced in this report. Agua is crucial for life. A human can survive for days and even weeks without food, but just a couple of days without water. The reason is that water is a source that constantly recycles.

Es bueno saberlo

We lose water from our body through urine and as evaporation from our skin through perspiration. Neither of these processes are something we can consciously control, but they’re important processes for temperature control in addition to eliminating waste products. On the other hand, our water consumption is under our control. We get water from what we drink, but also through meals.

La deshidratación leve puede provocar dolor de cabeza, sobrecalentamiento o mareospero no es potencialmente mortal en condiciones normales. En casos de deshidratación extrema, se puede obtener líquido mediante transfusiones intravenosas directas a la sangre. Además de proporcionar a la sangre su fluidez, para que las células sanguíneas puedan transportarse por todo el cuerpo, el agua también es fundamental como disolvente para el transporte de nutrientes y productos de desecho.

Manténgase en mente

Minerales, vitamins, glucose, and various forms of proteins, as well as the water, constitute the blood plasma. Although the colour of the blood is red, the colour of the blood plasma is in fact yellow. The red color comes from the massive number of red bloods cells, as will be clarified below. The yellow color of the blood plasma comes from the many water-soluble components, like nutrients and various signaling molecules.

Factor portador

Furthermore, your blood is the carrier of different waste products, which are filtered out of the blood into the urine via the kidneys. Additionally, the blood comprises various proteins which have both structural as well as regulating or signaling functions. One kind of significant structural components are the coagulación factors that are needed for proper blood clotting. Insulin is a good example of signaling molecule. People suffering from diabetes must carefully monitor and adjust the glucose and insulin levels in their blood, to ensure a correct balance.

Las células de nuestra sangre se dividen en dos grandes tipos: Los glóbulos rojos y los glóbulos blancos. Además, existen fragmentos celulares especializados, llamados plaquetas, que derivan de un tipo particular de glóbulos blancos, los megacariocitos. Los glóbulos rojos (GR, también llamados eritrocitos) consumen aproximadamente el 45% de todo el volumen sanguíneo.

Hemoglobina

The red color is because of abundant amounts of the protein hemoglobin, which binds and transports oxygen from the lungs through our entire body. The white blood cells are crucial for our sistema inmunológico, which can broadly be divided into the innate and the adaptive immune system. The innate immune system recognizes patterns which are associated with pathogens, and mounts a speedy reaction towards infections.

The adaptive immune cells recognize specific eptiopes, and may be educated to recognize epitopes associated with disease. The response of adaptive immune cells are slower, but the instruction contributes to a “memory” so that upon after experiences, we can quickly recognize and remove the threat. Immunization relies on the capability of the adaptive immune system to recognize the pathogen and produce a protective “memory” or immunization. Lastly, the platelets, also called thrombocytes, aren’t cells, but instead cell fragments. They’re critical for blood coagulation, to make sure that upon a cut or damage to a blood vessel, the bleeding will stop.