Blood consists of two main components:
- Plasma, which is a clear extracellular fluid
- Formed elements, which are made up of the blood cells and platelets
The formed elements are so named because they are enclosed in a plasma membrane and have a definite structure and shape. All formed elements are cells except for the platelets, which are tiny fragments of bone marrow cells.
Formed elements are:
- Erythrocytes, also known as red blood cells (RBCs)
- Leukocytes, also known as white blood cells (WBCs)
- Platelets
Leukocytes are further classified into two subcategories called granulocytes which consist of neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils; and agranulocytes which consist of lymphocytes and monocytes.
The formed elements can be separated from plasma by centrifuge, where a blood sample is spun for a few minutes in a tube to separate its components according to their densities. RBCs are denser than plasma, and so become packed into the bottom of the tube to make up 45% of total volume. This volume is known as the haematocrit. WBCs and platelets form a narrow cream-coloured coat known as the buffy coat immediately above the RBCs. Finally, the plasma makes up the top of the tube, which is a pale yellow colour and contains just under 55% of the total volume.
