plasm
plasm — noun
1. the clear, straw-coloured liquid portion of blood or lymph, which carries nutrie
the clear, straw-coloured liquid portion of blood or lymph, which carries nutrients, proteins, and hormones to body tissues and removes waste products
A nurse collected a small sample of Anya's blood plasm for routine laboratory tests.
collocation: blood plasm sample collected for testing
The centrifuge spins the blood tube until the red cells settle below the clear plasm.
collocation: centrifuge + plasm for lab separation
Burn victims often receive infusions of donated plasm to restore lost body fluids.
Selim studied how proteins in lymph plasm help the immune system fight infections.
Without enough plasm in the bloodstream, the body cannot deliver nutrients to the organs efficiently.
- plasma
the full and more common term for the same substance
- blood plasma
specifies the fluid component of blood as opposed to lymph
文法句型
used as uncountable noun
用法筆記
This sense is synonymous with 'plasma' (the more common term in everyday medical use). 'Plasm' appears mainly in technical or abbreviated scientific writing.
常見錯誤
2. genetic material taken from seeds, living plant tissue, or animal cells, preserv
genetic material taken from seeds, living plant tissue, or animal cells, preserved for use in agricultural breeding or scientific research
Feng stored samples of rare rice plasm in the seed bank for future breeding work.
collocation: rare rice plasm / seed bank
The research centre collects plant plasm from wild crop relatives to preserve genetic diversity.
collocation: collect plant plasm / preserve genetic diversity
Beatriz used maize plasm from the gene bank to develop a fungus-resistant variety.
Animal plasm is frozen in liquid nitrogen to help breed endangered species in the future.
Femi analysed wheat plasm to find genes that help crops survive in dry soil.
- germplasm
the standard full term for preserved genetic material used in breeding
- hereditary material
broader term that includes any genetic information passed to offspring
文法句型
used as uncountable noun
用法筆記
In scientific writing, the full compound 'germplasm' is more common than the short form 'plasm'. This sense always refers to preserved or stored material, not to fresh cells or tissue in a living organism.