Abstract
Blood is a fluid connective tissue originates from mesoderm composed of corpuscles (45%) suspended in protein-rich fluid called plasma (55%). It is the main transport medium of the circulatory system responsible for transport of oxygen and nutrients to the tissue and removal of metabolic waste products away from the tissue.
Among the corpuscles, erythrocytes are found in the highest proportion followed by platelets and leukocytes. Erythrocytes of mammals are the non-nucleated, non-mo- tile, biconcave circular disk-like structure involved primarily in oxygen and carbon-dioxide transport. Leukocytes are large, nucleated cells involved in the immunity. Platelets are the smallest blood corpuscles involved in hemostasis. All the blood cells are derived from pluripotential hematopoietic stem cells mainly in the bone marrow. Hemoglobin is an iron-containing conjugated protein consists of heme and globin that is exclusively found in erythrocytes and transports oxygen. The heme portion of the hemoglobin subjected complex metabolic reactions to be eliminated from the body and iron is reutilized. Blood coagulation or hemostasis is an inherent property of the blood which enables the stoppage of bleeding from injured vessels, helps to keep the blood in a fluid state during circulation and to resolve the clot for restoring vascular integrity. The complex interaction between vascular endothelium, platelets, and various clotting factors facilitates the formation of a clot. Different animal species have different blood groups determined by polymorphic antigens that reside on the surface of erythrocytes (agglutinogens) and the antibodies (agglutinogens) present in the plasma.J. Mukherjee (X) ∙ P. K. Das ∙ D. Banerjee
Department of Veterinary Physiology, West Bengal University of
Animal & Fishery Sciences, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023
P.
K. Das et al. (eds.), Textbook of Veterinary Physiology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9410-4_4Graphical Abstract
Description of the graphic: Blood is a fluid connective tissue composed of plasma and corpuscles (1). There are three types of blood corpuscles namely red blood corpuscles (RBC), white blood corpuscles (WBC), and platelets (2). All the blood corpuscles are derived from pluripotential hematopoietic stem cells through a process called hematopoiesis (3). Hemoglobin, an iron containing conjugated protein found exclusively in RBCs concerned with oxygen transport (4). WBCs provide humoral and cell-mediated immune response against pathogens (5). Platelets are concerned with blood coagulation with the help of vascular endothelium, platelets, and various clotting factors (6). Different animal species have different blood groups determined by the presence of polymorphic antigens on the surface of erythrocytes (agglutinogens) and the antibodies (agglutinogens) present in the plasma (7). Blood grouping is required for blood transfusion (8). The avian blood is differed from mammals in respect of nucleated RBCs and presence of heterophils homologous to neutrophils (9)
Keywords
Blood corpuscles ∙ Plasma ∙ Hemoglobin ∙ Hemostasis ∙
Blood group
Learning Objectives
• The compositions and properties of blood.
• The genesis of blood corpuscles and their functions.
• Hemoglobin and iron metabolism.
• The mechanism of blood coagulation.
• Blood grouping in animals and blood transfusion.
• Hematological disorders in animals.
4.1