Serum albumin is the most abundant protein in plasma. It accounts for over 50% of total human plasma protein content, having a concentration of approximately 40 g/L. Albumin is predominantly synthesized in the liver and is a major transportation component for many endogenous and exogenous compounds, including fatty acids, steroid hormones, metabolites and drugs. It is also responsible for maintaining colloid osmotic pressure and may affect microvascular integrity.
Serum albumin is the most abundant protein in plasma. It accounts for over 50% of total human plasma protein content, having a concentration of approximately 40 g/L. Albumin is predominantly synthesized in the liver and is a major transportation component for many endogenous and exogenous compounds, including fatty acids, steroid hormones, metabolites and drugs. It is also responsible for maintaining colloid osmotic pressure and may affect microvascular integrity.
Albumin is a soluble, monomeric protein which comprises about one-half of the blood serum protein. Albumin functions primarily as a carrier protein for steroids, fatty acids, and thyroid hormones and plays a role in stabilizing extracellular fluid volume. Albumin is a globular unglycosylated serum protein of molecular weight 65,000. Albumin is synthesized in the liver as preproalbumin which has an N-terminal peptide that is removed before the nascent protein is released from the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The product, proalbumin, is in turn cleaved in the Golgi vesicles to produce the secreted albumin.
Serum albumin, the main protein of plasma, has a good binding capacity for water, Ca(2+), Na(+), K(+), fatty acids, hormones, bilirubin and drugs. Its main function is the regulation of the colloidal osmotic pressure of blood. Major zinc transporter in plasma, typically binds about 80% of all plasma zinc.