In daily life, everyone is very familiar with blood because it flows through our bodies all the time. If the blood vessels in our bodies are like a series of great canals, then blood is the river, providing nutrients to our bodies and removing waste. Then, what is the difference between whole blood and blood?

Blood is a non-transparent, bright red liquid that flows through the heart and blood vessels, like a household, composed of blood, red blood cells, and platelets, among which red blood cells are further divided into erythrocytes and leukocytes. Blood accounts for about 1/13 of an adult’s body weight, has a salty and fishy taste, contains various nutrients, carbonates, oxygen, metabolites, growth hormones, enzymes, and antigens, and has the function of nourishing tissues, adjusting organ activities, and defending against harmful substances. The physiology and clinical manifestations of the body’s internal organs usually cause changes in blood composition, so blood tests are of great significance in disease diagnosis.

Blood, as a liquid part of whole blood, is transparent, light yellow, and thick. It can be separated from the cellular components in the blood in various ways outside the body. Blood accounts for about 55% of the total blood volume in the body, containing blood cells and fibrinogen, the latter of which has a certain effect on blood coagulation function. By filtering fresh blood, allowing red blood cells to settle, blood can be separated from whole blood. In certain pathological conditions, blood can be administered independently to supplement the patient’s blood.

Think of ‘blood’ as a pot of ‘congee’. Whole blood is that ‘pot of congee’, and blood is the ‘thin soup’ in that pot. Below, the differences between whole blood and blood are demonstrated from four aspects:

1. The color varies. Because whole blood contains blood cells, its color is bright red, while blood is the remaining liquid after red blood cells are separated from whole blood, and its color is light yellow.

2, The ratio is different. Whole blood contains red blood cells and other substances, so the specific gravity of whole blood is much higher than that of plasma.

3, The composition is different. Whole blood contains various nutrients, such as carbonates, oxygen, and cell differentiation substances, hormones, enzymes, and antigens. Blood is a protein polysaccharide of blood, most of which is water, and the dissolved substances mainly include plasma proteins, including glucose, carbonic acid ions, hormones, and carbon dioxide.

4, The functions are different. Whole blood contains red blood cells, so it has the functions of transporting carbon dioxide, nutrients, adjusting organ activity, and defending against harmful substances. Because there are no red blood cells in plasma, there is no transportation of carbon dioxide and other functions, and its main function is to transport red blood cells, and it is also the main medium for transporting metabolic waste. Plasma also contains 150 kinds of plasma proteins, of which more than 20 kinds have been obtained and used in clinical medicine, such as coagulation factors, human serum albumin, human gamma globulin, etc., which can be used for the treatment of various diseases.

Similarly, the difference between blood donation and plasma donation can be understood in this way. The blood donation we usually mention is the extraction of whole blood from the donor. Plasma donation is done by using an automatic single collection blood machine, separated by a centrifugal dehydration machine, collects a part of the body’s blood (the liquid part), and returns the blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, etc. (solid part) to the donor’s own body, so that it can be restored quickly. For whole blood donation, it takes three months for the body to recover, and the country requires a minimum interval of six months between two donations to protect blood donors. Therefore, whole blood donation requires the loss of a large number of red blood cells, and the growth cycle of red blood cells is calculated based on the cycle time of blood cells, so the minimum interval for whole blood donation should be six months, while plasma donation can be as frequent as every 14 days.

Some people worry that plasma donation will affect physical and mental health, but this concern is unnecessary.

1, The total blood production of a person accounts for 8% of body weight, and donating 600 grams of plasma (including anticoagulant) does not affect the normal physiological function of blood.

2, The body itself has a strong regulatory function, and the blood flow will be restored within 1 to 2 hours after donation. The water lost during plasma donation can be restored within 2 hours through the body’s own regulation and moderate drinking of water, and proteins can be restored to the original level within 2-3 days.

3, A strict physical examination and blood test must be done before donating plasma, and only those who pass the examination can donate plasma.

4, For many years, the plasma donation activities of hundreds of millions of people worldwide have confirmed that plasma donation does not easily affect physical and mental health. The first donation may cause some anxiety, but if you have some knowledge of blood and closely cooperate with medical staff, your anxiety will quickly disappear. In addition, according to many medical literature, appropriate plasma donation can soften blood vessels and blood viscosity, and prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in a reasonable way. It is not difficult to see that plasma donation not only saves others but also satisfies oneself, which is a great good for both oneself and others.