proteins

• Albumin: 60% of all proteins in plasma

  • carries other proteins through circulation
  • important to blood buffer
  • contributes to plasma osmotic pressure
• Erythropoietin: stimulates formation of red blood cells

  • released by kidneys in response to hypoxia but is always around stimulating at a constant rate
• ferritin and hemosiderin store iron because free floating iron is toxic
• spectrin: which provides flexibility to change shape for a cell like red blood cell that needs to change shape and snap back
• transferrin binds loosely to iron in blood so erythrocytes can take up iron for hemoglobin as needed
• thrombopoietin: regulates the formation of platelets
• plasmin: digests fibrin, digesting clots
• antithrombin III: quickly inactivates any thrombin not bound to fibrin
• heparin accentuates the effect of antithrombin