BIOL 252 Human Anatomy & Physiology II with
Lab – Module 1 Comprehensive Exam Review
(80 Q&A) | LockDown Browser, Portage
Learning
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**SECTION I: BLOOD COMPOSITION, PLASMA, AND GENERAL FUNCTIONS
(Questions 1-15)**
1. Define whole blood and state its average volume in an adult male and adult female.
Answer: Whole blood is a specialized connective tissue consisting of plasma and
formed elements. Average volume is five liters in adult males and four liters in adult
females.
2. List the three major functions of blood.
Answer: Transportation of gases, nutrients, hormones, and wastes; regulation of body
temperature, pH, and fluid volume; and protection against blood loss and infection.
3. Describe the composition of blood plasma and state its percentage of total blood
volume.
Answer: Plasma constitutes fifty-five percent of total blood volume. It is ninety-two
percent water and eight percent solutes including proteins, electrolytes, nutrients,
gases, hormones, and waste products.
4. Differentiate between plasma and serum.
, Answer: Plasma is the liquid portion of blood containing fibrinogen and clotting factors.
Serum is the liquid remaining after blood has clotted and fibrinogen has been removed.
5. List the three major categories of plasma proteins and give one primary function for
each.
Answer: Albumins maintain colloid osmotic pressure and transport fatty acids and
steroids. Globulins include alpha and beta globulins for transport and gamma globulins
(antibodies) for immunity. Fibrinogen is essential for blood clotting.
6. Explain the role of alpha and beta globulins in plasma.
Answer: They function primarily as transport proteins for lipids, fat-soluble vitamins, and
metal ions such as iron and copper.
7. Describe how plasma proteins contribute to blood viscosity and osmotic pressure.
Answer: Plasma proteins, especially albumin, increase blood viscosity and create
colloid osmotic pressure that helps retain fluid within the vascular compartment.
8. Explain the difference between formed elements and plasma.
Answer: Formed elements are the cellular components (erythrocytes, leukocytes, and
platelets). Plasma is the liquid extracellular matrix in which the formed elements are
suspended.
9. State the normal hematocrit range for adult males and females and explain what
hematocrit measures.
Answer: Males: forty-two to fifty-two percent. Females: thirty-seven to forty-seven
percent. Hematocrit is the percentage of total blood volume occupied by erythrocytes.
10. Describe the buffy coat and its composition.
Answer: The buffy coat is a thin, pale layer between plasma and erythrocytes in
centrifuged blood. It consists primarily of leukocytes and platelets.
Lab – Module 1 Comprehensive Exam Review
(80 Q&A) | LockDown Browser, Portage
Learning
------------------------------------------------------------
**SECTION I: BLOOD COMPOSITION, PLASMA, AND GENERAL FUNCTIONS
(Questions 1-15)**
1. Define whole blood and state its average volume in an adult male and adult female.
Answer: Whole blood is a specialized connective tissue consisting of plasma and
formed elements. Average volume is five liters in adult males and four liters in adult
females.
2. List the three major functions of blood.
Answer: Transportation of gases, nutrients, hormones, and wastes; regulation of body
temperature, pH, and fluid volume; and protection against blood loss and infection.
3. Describe the composition of blood plasma and state its percentage of total blood
volume.
Answer: Plasma constitutes fifty-five percent of total blood volume. It is ninety-two
percent water and eight percent solutes including proteins, electrolytes, nutrients,
gases, hormones, and waste products.
4. Differentiate between plasma and serum.
, Answer: Plasma is the liquid portion of blood containing fibrinogen and clotting factors.
Serum is the liquid remaining after blood has clotted and fibrinogen has been removed.
5. List the three major categories of plasma proteins and give one primary function for
each.
Answer: Albumins maintain colloid osmotic pressure and transport fatty acids and
steroids. Globulins include alpha and beta globulins for transport and gamma globulins
(antibodies) for immunity. Fibrinogen is essential for blood clotting.
6. Explain the role of alpha and beta globulins in plasma.
Answer: They function primarily as transport proteins for lipids, fat-soluble vitamins, and
metal ions such as iron and copper.
7. Describe how plasma proteins contribute to blood viscosity and osmotic pressure.
Answer: Plasma proteins, especially albumin, increase blood viscosity and create
colloid osmotic pressure that helps retain fluid within the vascular compartment.
8. Explain the difference between formed elements and plasma.
Answer: Formed elements are the cellular components (erythrocytes, leukocytes, and
platelets). Plasma is the liquid extracellular matrix in which the formed elements are
suspended.
9. State the normal hematocrit range for adult males and females and explain what
hematocrit measures.
Answer: Males: forty-two to fifty-two percent. Females: thirty-seven to forty-seven
percent. Hematocrit is the percentage of total blood volume occupied by erythrocytes.
10. Describe the buffy coat and its composition.
Answer: The buffy coat is a thin, pale layer between plasma and erythrocytes in
centrifuged blood. It consists primarily of leukocytes and platelets.
