Plasma Is Both Blood Fluid and the Fourth State of Matter
Plasma is the liquid part of blood, and also ionised gas. The Greek root means something moulded.
Plasma is the fluid in which blood cells are suspended, and also the fourth state of matter. The physicist Irving Langmuir named the ionised gas in 1928, apparently because the way it carried particles reminded him of blood plasma carrying cells. The Greek root means something moulded or formed, which also gives *plastic*.
- The liquid part of blood. *Plasma donation.*
- Ionised gas. *A plasma torch.*
- Plasma screen — a display technology. *A plasma screen.*
- Plasmid — a small DNA loop. *Bacterial plasmids.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | plasma | Blood plasma. |
| Adjective | plasmatic | Plasmatic flow. |
| Related | plastic | A plastic bottle. |
| Related | protoplasm | Cell protoplasm. |
| Related | cytoplasm | Cytoplasm content. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Plasma is over half of blood by volume.Around 55 per cent.
- Most visible matter in the universe is plasma.Stars are plasma.
- Plastic and plasma share a root.Greek *plassein*, to mould.
Plasma facts
- Blood plasma — mostly water, carrying proteins, salts and nutrients
- Fourth state — after solid, liquid and gas
- Ionisation — electrons stripped from atoms, leaving charged particles
- Most common state — stars and interstellar gas are plasma
- Everyday examples — lightning, neon signs and flames
From Greek *plasma*, something moulded, from *plassein*, to shape. Langmuir applied it to ionised gas in 1928.
Why is ionised gas called plasma?
Langmuir named it in 1928, reportedly because the way it carried particles reminded him of blood plasma carrying cells.
Are plastic and plasma related?
Yes. Both come from Greek *plassein*, to mould or shape.