Plasma is the liquid component of blood, in which the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are suspended. It constitutes more than half of the blood’s volume and consists mostly of water that contains dissolved salts (electrolytes) and proteins.

Plasma contains about 90 percent water, with 10 percent being made up of ions, proteins, dissolved gases, nutrient molecules, and wastes. The proteins in plasma include the antibody proteins, coagulation factors, and the proteins albumin and fibrinogen which maintain serum osmotic pressure.

Over 100 different types of plasma protein exist but they can be grouped into 3 fractions; Plasma Albumin, Plasma Globulin and Fibrinogen.

A plasma is created when one or more electrons are torn free from an atom. A plasma is generally a mix of these positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons. Most plasmas are created when extra energy is added to a gas, knocking electrons free from atoms. High temperatures often cause plasmas to form.

Here are 10 examples of forms of plasma:

• lightning.
• aurorae.
• the excited low-pressure gas inside neon signs and fluorescent lights.
• solar wind.
• welding arcs.
• the Earth’s ionosphere.
• stars (including the Sun)
• the tail of a comet.

As with any blood product, there is a risk of transfusion-transmitted infection including HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. The risk of these infections is very low. You may have other side effects that are not known at this time and may include serious injury or pain, disability, or death.

For example, a group A individual has A antigen on his red cells and anti-B in his plasma. Fortunately, this type of immediate rejection of transfused red cells is rare.

After you donate plasma Continue to eat foods rich in protein and iron. Don’t smoke for 30 minutes. Don’t drink alcohol for 4 hours.

Prepare for your plasma donation.

1. Drink lots of water before donating on your plasma donation day.
2. Eat a healthy meal within two hours of your visit.
3. Avoid foods high in fat or cholesterol.
4. Don’t use tobacco for an hour before donating.
5. Avoid alcohol and caffeine before and on your plasma donation day.

Your body will replace the blood volume (plasma) within 48 hours. It will take four to eight weeks for your body to completely replace the red blood cells you donated.

When you give blood you lose red cells and the body needs to make more to replace them. Special cells in the kidneys, called peritubular cells, sense that the level of oxygen in the blood has decreased (due to the loss of red cells) and start secreting a protein called erythropoietin.

– The most recognised and studied long term complication is iron deficiency, more frequently associated with whole blood donation(35). The collection of 450 or 500 mL of whole blood, plus an additional 30 to 50 mL for blood tests, results in 480 to 550 mL of blood loss per whole-blood donation.

There is no upper age limit for blood donation as long as you are well with no restrictions or limitations to your activities. Those younger than age 17 are almost always legal minors (not yet of the age of majority) who cannot give consent by themselves to donate blood.