Because of molecular interactions between these different components of plasma, it is not surprising that plasma has a higher viscosity than water. Whole blood viscosity is the sum of plasma viscosity (mainly determined by colloid components such as albumin) plus the density and packing of all blood cells and their rigidity (see Figure 1) 2. Blood viscosity is determined by plasma viscosity, hematocrit (volume fraction of red blood cell, which constitute 99.9% of the cellular elements), red blood cell deformability, mechanical properties of red blood cells, red blood cell aggregation, and plasma viscosity.Īlthough plasma is mostly water, it also contains other molecules such as electrolytes, proteins (especially albumin and fibrinogen), and other macromolecules. Normal serum viscosity relative to water is 1.4 to 1.8 cp 1.
Viscosity is measured in the unit of centipoise (cp). Viscous blood are thicker and travel more slowly. When blood has low viscosity, it travels quickly and without much difficulty. Viscosity is formally defined as the measurement of the internal resistance of a fluid to flow but can simply be thought of as the “thickness” or “stickiness” of a fluid. Blood viscosity is the thickness or stickiness of blood.
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