A patient takes part in a trial of a new artificial blood product after severe blood loss in a road accident. The product is designed to carry oxygen for a ...
Question 1 Report
A patient takes part in a trial of a new artificial blood product after severe blood loss in a road accident. The product is designed to carry oxygen for a short period until donated blood is available. It does not contain platelets or white blood cells. Doctors monitor the patient's heart rate, oxygen level and clotting time. They explain that whole blood has several jobs, including transport, defence against disease and preventing excessive blood loss from a wound. The trial is closely supervised in the emergency department.
(a) Identify the blood component needed for clotting. [1]
(b) Explain why the artificial product cannot replace all functions of whole blood. [2]
(c) Give one role of plasma in human circulation. [2]
Answer Details
(a) Platelets. [1]
(b) It does not contain platelets, so it cannot help blood clot. [1] It does not contain white blood cells, so it cannot defend against pathogens. [1]
(c) Any two from: transports carbon dioxide; transports urea; transports dissolved glucose; transports hormones; carries heat. [2]
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