Exudate
Encyclopedia
An exudate is any fluid
that filters from the circulatory system
into lesion
s or areas of inflammation
. It can apply to plants as well as animals. Its composition varies but generally includes water and the dissolved solutes
of the main circulatory fluid such as sap or blood. In the case of blood: it will contain some or all plasma proteins, white blood cell
s, platelet
s and (in the case of local vascular
damage) red blood cell
s. In plants it can be a healing and defensive response to repel insect attack or it can be an offensive habit (to repel other incompatible or competitive plants). Organisms that feed on exudate are known as exudativores for example, Vampire Bats who exhibit hematophagy
.
of extracted fluid. Specific gravity is used to measure the protein content of the fluid. The higher the specific gravity, the greater the likelihood of capillary
permeability
changes in relation to body cavities
. For example, the specific gravity of the transudate is usually less than 1.012 and a protein content of less than 2 gm/100mL (2 gm%). Rivalta test
may be used to differentiate an exudate from a transudate.
It is not clear if there is a distinction in the difference of transudates and exudates in plants.
Fluid
In physics, a fluid is a substance that continually deforms under an applied shear stress. Fluids are a subset of the phases of matter and include liquids, gases, plasmas and, to some extent, plastic solids....
that filters from the circulatory system
Circulatory system
The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...
into lesion
Lesion
A lesion is any abnormality in the tissue of an organism , usually caused by disease or trauma. Lesion is derived from the Latin word laesio which means injury.- Types :...
s or areas of inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
. It can apply to plants as well as animals. Its composition varies but generally includes water and the dissolved solutes
Solution
In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of only one phase. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. The solvent does the dissolving.- Types of solutions :...
of the main circulatory fluid such as sap or blood. In the case of blood: it will contain some or all plasma proteins, white blood cell
White blood cell
White blood cells, or leukocytes , are cells of the immune system involved in defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials. Five different and diverse types of leukocytes exist, but they are all produced and derived from a multipotent cell in the bone marrow known as a...
s, platelet
Platelet
Platelets, or thrombocytes , are small,irregularly shaped clear cell fragments , 2–3 µm in diameter, which are derived from fragmentation of precursor megakaryocytes. The average lifespan of a platelet is normally just 5 to 9 days...
s and (in the case of local vascular
Blood vessel
The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the arteries, which carry the blood away from the heart; the capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and...
damage) red blood cell
Red blood cell
Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate organism's principal means of delivering oxygen to the body tissues via the blood flow through the circulatory system...
s. In plants it can be a healing and defensive response to repel insect attack or it can be an offensive habit (to repel other incompatible or competitive plants). Organisms that feed on exudate are known as exudativores for example, Vampire Bats who exhibit hematophagy
Hematophagy
Hematophagy is the practice of certain animals of feeding on blood...
.
Etymology
Exudate is derived from exude, "to ooze," from the Latin exsūdāre, "to (ooze) out like sweat" (ex- "out" and sūdāre "to sweat").Types
- Purulent or suppurative exudate consists of plasma with both active and dead neutrophils, fibrinogenFibrinogenFibrinogen is a soluble plasma glycoprotein, synthesised by the liver, that is converted by thrombin into fibrin during blood coagulation. This is achieved through processes in the coagulation cascade that activate the zymogen prothrombin to the serine protease thrombin, which is responsible for...
, and necrotic parenchymal cells. This kind of exudate is consistent with more severe infections, and is commonly referred to as pusPusPus is a viscous exudate, typically whitish-yellow, yellow, or yellow-brown, formed at the site of inflammatory during infection. An accumulation of pus in an enclosed tissue space is known as an abscess, whereas a visible collection of pus within or beneath the epidermis is known as a pustule or...
. - Fibrinous exudate is composed mainly of fibrinogenFibrinogenFibrinogen is a soluble plasma glycoprotein, synthesised by the liver, that is converted by thrombin into fibrin during blood coagulation. This is achieved through processes in the coagulation cascade that activate the zymogen prothrombin to the serine protease thrombin, which is responsible for...
and fibrinFibrinFibrin is a fibrous, non-globular protein involved in the clotting of blood. It is a fibrillar protein that is polymerised to form a "mesh" that forms a hemostatic plug or clot over a wound site....
. It is characteristic of rheumatic carditis, but is seen in all severe injuries such as strep throatStrep throatStreptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal tonsillitis, or streptococcal sore throat is a type of pharyngitis caused by a group A streptococcal infection. It affects the pharynx including the tonsils and possibly the larynx. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, and enlarged lymph nodes...
and bacterial pneumoniaBacterial pneumoniaBacterial pneumonia is a type of pneumonia caused by bacterial infection.-Sign and symptoms:*Fever*Rigors*Cough*Dyspnea*Chest pain*Pneumococcal pneumonia can cause Hemoptysis-Gram positive:...
. Fibrinous inflammation is often difficult to resolve due to the fact that blood vessels grow into the exudate and fill the space that was occupied by fibrin. Often, large amounts of antibiotics are necessary for resolution. - Catarrhal exudate is seen in the nose and throat and is characterized by a high content of mucus.
- Serous exudate (sometimes classified as serous transudateTransudateTransudate is extravascular fluid with low protein content and a low specific gravity .This is in contrast to transudate where the extracellular fluid is an ultrafiltrate of blood plasma and thus larger molecules such as proteins and cell debris are absent....
) is usually seen in mild inflammation, with little protein content. Its consistency resembles that of serum, and can usually be seen in certain disease states like tuberculosisTuberculosisTuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. (See below for difference between transudate and exudate) - Malignant (or cancerous) pleural effusion is effusion where cancer cellCancer cellCancer cells are cells that grow and divide at an unregulated, quickened pace. Although cancer cells can be quite common in a person they are only malignant when the other cells fail to recognize and/or destroy them. In the past a common belief was that cancer cells failed to be recognized and...
s are present. It is usually classified as exudate.
Exudates vs. transudates
There is an important distinction between transudates and exudates. Transudates are caused by disturbances of hydrostatic or colloid osmotic pressure, not by inflammation. They have a low protein content in comparison to exudates. Medical distinction between transudates and exudates is through the measurement of the specific gravitySpecific gravity
Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance. Apparent specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a volume of the substance to the weight of an equal volume of the reference substance. The reference substance is nearly always water for...
of extracted fluid. Specific gravity is used to measure the protein content of the fluid. The higher the specific gravity, the greater the likelihood of capillary
Capillary
Capillaries are the smallest of a body's blood vessels and are parts of the microcirculation. They are only 1 cell thick. These microvessels, measuring 5-10 μm in diameter, connect arterioles and venules, and enable the exchange of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and many other nutrient and waste...
permeability
Vascular permeability
Vascular permeability, often in the form of capillary permeability, characterizes the capacity of a blood vessel wall to allow for the flow of small molecules or even whole cells in and out of the vessel. Blood vessel walls are lined by a single layer of endothelial cells...
changes in relation to body cavities
Body cavity
By the broadest definition, a body cavity is any fluid-filled space in a multicellular organism. However, the term usually refers to the space located between an animal’s outer covering and the outer lining of the gut cavity, where internal organs develop...
. For example, the specific gravity of the transudate is usually less than 1.012 and a protein content of less than 2 gm/100mL (2 gm%). Rivalta test
Rivalta test
Rivalta test is used in order to differentiate a transudate from an exudate.A test tube is filled with distilled water and acetic acid is added. To this mixture one drop of the effusion to be tested is added. If the drop dissipates, the test is negative, indicating a transudate...
may be used to differentiate an exudate from a transudate.
It is not clear if there is a distinction in the difference of transudates and exudates in plants.