1. What is blood?

Blood is made up of liquid, called plasma, and various different types of

cells. An average-sized man has about 5-6 litres of blood in his body; a woman
has slightly less. Blood has many different functions
2. Where is blood found?
Blood is found in blood vessels. Blood vessels (arteries, arterioles,
capillaries, venules and veins) take blood to and from every part of your body.
Blood is pumped through blood vessels by your heart.
3. What is normal blood made up of?
a)

Blood cells, which can be seen under a microscope, make up about 40% of
the blood's volume. Blood cells are divided into three main types:
1.

Red cells (erythrocytes). These make blood a red colour. One drop
of blood contains about five million red cells. A constant new
supply of red blood cells is needed to replace old cells that break
down. Millions of red blood cells are made each day. Red cells
contain a chemical called haemoglobin. This binds to oxygen, and
takes oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.

2.

White cells (leukocytes). There are different types of white cells

which

are

called

neutrophils

(polymorphs),

lymphocytes,

eosinophils, monocytes, and basophils. They are part of the

immune system. Their main role is to defend the body against

infection. Neutrophils engulf bacteria and destroy them with

special chemicals. Eosinophils and monocytes also work by
swallowing up foreign particles in the body. Basophils help to
intensify inflammation. Inflammation makes blood vessels leaky.
This helps specialised white blood cells get to where they are
needed. Lymphocytes have a variety of different functions. They
attack viruses and other pathogens (germs). They also make
antibodies which help to destroy pathogens.
3.

Platelets. These are tiny and help the blood to clot if we cut
ourselves.

b)

Plasma is the liquid part of blood and makes up about 60% of the blood's
volume. Plasma is mainly made from water, but also contains many
different proteins and other chemicals such as hormones, antibodies,
enzymes, glucose, fat particles, salts, etc.
When blood spills from your body (or a blood sample is taken into a plain

glass tube) the cells and certain plasma proteins clump together to form a clot. The
remaining clear fluid is called serum.
4. What does blood do?
Blood has a variety of different functions. These include:
a)

Transport. Blood takes oxygen from the lungs to the cells of the body. It
takes carbon dioxide from the body's cells to the lungs where it is breathed

out. Blood carries nutrients, hormones and waste products around the
body.
b)

Regulation. Blood helps to keep the acid-alkali balance of the body in

check. It also plays a part in regulating body temperature. Increasing the
amount of blood flowing close to the skin helps the body to lose heat.

c)

Protection. White blood cells attack and destroy invading bacteria and
other pathogens. Blood clots, which protects the body from losing too
much blood after injury.

5. The bone marrow, stem cells and blood cell production

Bone marrow
Blood cells are made in the bone marrow by stem cells. The bone marrow
is the soft spongy-like material in the centre of bones. The large flat bones such as
the pelvis and breastbone (sternum) contain the most bone marrow. To make
blood cells constantly you need a healthy bone marrow. You also need nutrients
from your diet, including iron and certain vitamins.

Stem cells
Stem cells are primitive (immature) cells. There are two main types in the
bone marrow - myeloid and lymphoid stem cells. These derive from even more
primitive common pluripotent stem cells. Stem cells constantly divide and
produce new cells. Some new cells remain as stem cells and others go through a
series of maturing stages (precursor or blast cells) before forming into mature
blood cells. Mature blood cells are released from the bone marrow into the
bloodstream.
6. Blood production
You make millions of blood cells every day. Each type of cell has an
expected lifespan. For example, red blood cells normally last about 120 days.
Some white blood cells last just hours or days - some last longer. Every day
millions of blood cells die and are broken down at the end of their lifespan. There
is normally a fine balance between the number of blood cells that you make, and
the number that die and are broken down. Various factors help to maintain this
balance. For example, certain hormones in the bloodstream, and chemicals in the
bone marrow, called growth factors, help to regulate the number of blood cells
that are made.
7. Blood, oxygen and other chemicals
The cells that make up the organs and tissues of your body need oxygen to
live. They also produce carbon dioxide which needs to be removed from the body.

One

of

the

main

functions

of

blood

is

to

transport

oxygen

and

carbondioxidearoundthebody.
A chemical called haemoglobin is present inside red blood cells. Haemoglobin has
a strong attraction to oxygen. Red blood cells pass through the lungs within the
bloodstream. Here in the lungs the oxygen you breathe in passes into red blood
cells, and binds to haemoglobin. Blood then flows from the lungs to the heart. The
heart pumps blood around the body. When red blood cells come into contact with
tissues that need oxygen, haemoglobin releases the oxygen it is carrying.

Carbon dioxide produced by your body's tissues is also carried by blood.

When it reaches the lungs it passes out of the blood vessels and into your airways.
This allows carbon dioxide to leave your body when youbreatheout.
As well as transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide, blood carries many of the
chemicals and nutrients essential to life. This includes the nutrients produced by

the digestion of food, enzymes (chemicals produced by the body), hormones and
waste products. Blood also helps to buffer all the different chemicals in the body.
By doing this it stops your body fluids from becoming too acidic or too alkali.
8. Why Is Blood Red?
Answer 1:
Blood is red because it is made up of cells that are red, which are called
red blood cells. But, to understand why these cells are red you have to study them
on a molecular level. Within the red blood cells there is a protein called
hemoglobin. Each hemoglobin protein is made up subunits called hemes, which
are what give blood its red color. More specifically, the hemes can bind iron
molecules, and these iron molecules bind oxygen. The blood cells are red because
of the interaction between iron and oxygen. (Even more specifically, it looks red
because of how the chemical bonds between the iron and the oxygen reflect light.)
And it's very important for blood to be able to carry oxygen because when blood
flows through the lungs, the blood picks up oxygen, and the blood carries this
oxygen to the rest of the body until the oxygen is all used up -- the blood then
returns to the lungs to get more oxygen.
Answer 2:
Blood is red from the protein, hemoglobin.Hemoglobin has a molecule
called a "heme" which has the metal iron in it. When the iron is oxygenated, it

becomes red. When the iron is deoxygenated, it becomes blue. This is why your
veins are blue.
Answer 3:

Blood is red because of the hemoglobin inside our red blood cells.
Hemoglobin is a protein that forms a complex with iron molecules and together
they transport oxygen molecules throughout the body. Iron has the property of
reflecting red light and because there is so much iron in our blood, blood looks
red. When hemoglobin is carrying a lot of oxygen (like when just leaving the
lungs), blood is bright red. When most of the oxygen has been released to the
body, blood is dark red. Therefore, contrary to popular belief, blood is never blue.
Veins under light colored skin only look blue because the skin changes the optical
properties of the light that passes through the skin. In other words, skin changes
the way light is reflected from the blood and we perceive that as being a different
color.

9. What is Hemoglobin?
Hemoglobin is the protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen
from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues
back to the lungs.
Hemoglobin is made up of four protein molecules (globulin chains) that
are connected together. The normal adult hemoglobin (Hbg) molecule contains
two alpha-globulin chains and two beta-globulin chains. In fetuses and infants,

beta chains are not common and the hemoglobin molecule is made up of two
alpha chains and two gamma chains. As the infant grows, the gamma chains are
gradually replaced by beta chains, forming the adult hemoglobin structure.
Each globulin chain contains an important central structure called the
heme molecule. Embedded within the heme molecule is iron that is vital in
transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood. The iron contained in
hemoglobin is also responsible for the red color of blood.
Hemoglobin also plays an important role in maintaining the shape of the
red blood cells. In their natural shape, red blood cells are round with narrow
centers resembling a donut without a hole in the middle. Abnormal hemoglobin
structure can, therefore, disrupt the shape of red blood cells and impede their
function and flow through blood vessels.