Donating Plasma: what exactly is plasma?

Human plasma is the liquid portion of your blood that remains after the red cells, white cells, and platelets have been separated out. 92% of plasma is water, however, the other 8% contains hundreds of different proteins and millions of different antibodies.

Almost 500 different types of protein have been found in human blood plasma. Many of these proteins and antibodies can be used to manufacture prescription drugs that manage serious and often life-threatening conditions.

For more information on human plasma and how it can used to treat patients, please visit the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association Frequently Asked Questions Web page (available in several languages).

References:

• www.bloodmobile.org/glossary.html
• www.pptaglobal.org