What is the function of albumin in blood?

What is the function of albumin in blood?

• A. Helps clot blood.
• B. Transports oxygen.
• C. Maintains immune defenses.
• D. Helps maintain osmotic pressure.

Answer: (D)

Albumin's main job in the blood is to maintain colloid osmotic pressure, the force that draws water back into capillaries and keeps blood volume stable. This helps prevent fluid from leaking into tissues and supports normal blood pressure. Albumin can also carry various substances, but its classic exam point is preserving osmotic balance. Clotting relies on other proteins, oxygen transport is handled by hemoglobin in red blood cells, and immune defense involves antibodies and immune cells, not albumin.

Albumin's main job in the blood is to maintain colloid osmotic pressure, the force that draws water back into capillaries and keeps blood volume stable. This helps prevent fluid from leaking into tissues and supports normal blood pressure. Albumin can also carry various substances, but its classic exam point is preserving osmotic balance. Clotting relies on other proteins, oxygen transport is handled by hemoglobin in red blood cells, and immune defense involves antibodies and immune cells, not albumin.