Which statement about plasma is NOT true?

Which statement about plasma is NOT true?

• A. It is the liquid portion of blood without cellular elements.
• B. It contains clotting factors.
• C. It contains red blood cells.
• D. It is rich in dissolved gases.

Answer: (C)

Plasma is the liquid portion of blood in which the cellular elements are suspended. It carries water, proteins (including albumin and clotting factors), electrolytes, nutrients, hormones, waste products, and dissolved gases. The red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are the formed elements and are not part of plasma; they are the cellular components that remain when you separate the plasma from the cells. Therefore, saying that plasma contains red blood cells is not true. It’s the presence of these cells in whole blood that distinguishes it from plasma. The statement about clotting factors being in plasma is correct, and plasma does contain dissolved gases, though oxygen is mainly carried by hemoglobin in red blood cells, with some dissolved in plasma as well.

Plasma is the liquid portion of blood in which the cellular elements are suspended. It carries water, proteins (including albumin and clotting factors), electrolytes, nutrients, hormones, waste products, and dissolved gases. The red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are the formed elements and are not part of plasma; they are the cellular components that remain when you separate the plasma from the cells. Therefore, saying that plasma contains red blood cells is not true. It’s the presence of these cells in whole blood that distinguishes it from plasma. The statement about clotting factors being in plasma is correct, and plasma does contain dissolved gases, though oxygen is mainly carried by hemoglobin in red blood cells, with some dissolved in plasma as well.