plasma

(plaz′mă )

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[L. plasma, fr Gr. plasma, something formed or molded]

1. An ointment base of glycerol and starch.
2. The liquid part of blood and of lymph.
SYN: SEE: blood plasma
Plasma forms 52% to 62% of the total blood volume and is a transport medium and a medium for chemical reactions. It is about 91.5% water, and about 7% protein, including albumin, globulins, and the clotting factors. Also found in plasma are electrolytes that determine osmotic pressure and pH balance, nutrients and waste products, and hormones. Most carbon dioxide is transported in plasma in the form of bicarbonate ions. Plasma from which clotting factors have been removed is called serum.

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