Definition

Noun: A plasma protein is any of the diverse group of proteins that are dissolved in the liquid component (plasma) of blood. These proteins perform essential functions such as maintaining osmotic pressure, transporting substances, clotting blood, and defending against pathogens.

Usage

The term is used in medical, biological, and physiological contexts to refer to the specific proteins found in blood plasma. - It is typically used as a countable noun (e.g., a plasma protein, several plasma proteins). - It often appears in discussions of blood composition, liver function (as the liver produces most plasma proteins), and various disease states.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Albumin is a major plasma protein that helps regulate blood volume.
  • The doctor ordered a test to measure the levels of various plasma proteins.
  • Antibodies, or immunoglobulins, are crucial plasma proteins for the immune response.

Advanced Usage

• "Fractionation of plasma proteins": A laboratory process to separate the different proteins from blood plasma.
  • The research involved the fractionation of plasma proteins to isolate clotting factors.
• "Acute-phase plasma proteins": A class of proteins whose concentrations increase or decrease in response to inflammation.
  • C-reactive protein is a well-known acute-phase plasma protein.

Variants and Related Words

• Serum protein: A closely related term. Serum is plasma without clotting factors; therefore, most serum proteins are plasma proteins, except for those consumed in the clotting process.
• Plasma: The liquid matrix of blood in which these proteins are suspended.
• Albumin, Globulin, Fibrinogen: The three main classes of plasma proteins.

Synonyms

• Blood protein (a broader term that can include proteins within blood cells as well as in plasma).

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Plasma protein binding: Refers to the degree to which a drug attaches to proteins in the blood plasma.
  • The medication's effectiveness is influenced by its plasma protein binding.
• Plasma protein fraction: A therapeutic substance derived from human plasma, containing specific proteins.
  • The patient received an infusion of plasma protein fraction to expand blood volume.

Noun

1. any of the proteins in blood plasma