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plasma
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Blood plasma Illustration of a blood vessel with a cutaway view showing red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma, each labeled to highlight the main components of blood.
Using fidget spinners in diagnostic blood tests
Gloved hands hold a blood sample tube above a rack of vials in a laboratory, illustrating blood analysis in human body science.
Close-up of a medical blood bag filled with red blood, showing attached tubes and connectors against a blurred background.
Examples of extracellular fluids include lymph and plasma. Detailed diagram showing the transport of lipoproteins in the human body, illustrating how dietary fats and cholesterol are absorbed in the small intestine, packaged into chylomicrons, and transported through lymphatic vessels and the bloodstream. The diagram traces the conversion of chylomicrons to VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL particles, highlighting their roles in fat and cholesterol delivery, storage, and recycling, with labeled pathways to the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue, and includes cellu Line graph showing plasma concentration of a drug over 20 hours after oral administration, with a rapid rise during absorption, a peak, and gradual decline during elimination.
Understanding the human cardiovascular system
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plasma summary
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Blood plasma
Blood plasma Blood sediment in test tubes, showing plasma (clear fluid), red blood cells (red), and the release of hemoglobin into the surrounding plasma (pink).

plasma

biology
Also known as: blood plasma
Written by
David H. Yawn
Professor of pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
David H. Yawn
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
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•History

plasma, the liquid portion of blood. Plasma serves as a transport medium for delivering nutrients to the cells of the various organs of the body and for transporting waste products derived from cellular metabolism to the kidneys, liver, and lungs for excretion. It is also a transport system for blood cells, and it plays a critical role in maintaining normal blood pressure. Plasma helps to distribute heat throughout the body and to maintain homeostasis, or...

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