BLOOD

GENERAL PROPERTIES

- Fraction of body weight: 8%

- Volume:

• Female: 4-5 L

• Male: 5-6 L

- Temperature: 100.4 F

- pH 7.35 - 7.45

- Viscosity (relative to water):

Whole Blood: 4.5-5.5 (Plasma 2.0)

- Mean salinity (mainly NaCl): .85%

MAJOR FUNCTION OF BLOOD

1. Move oxygen throughout the body

2. Carry waste to the kidneys

3. Fight infections and heal wounds

4. Carry nutrients from the digestive system throughout the body

5. Cools body by carrying blood from organs to skins surface.

WHAT MAKES BLOOD?- 55%- Plasma:

- 43%-Red blood

- 2%- White Blood cells

- < 1%-Platelets

PLASMA: 55%- The straw colored liquid part of your blood that transports Red, and White blood cells, and Platelets

- Made mostly of water, does contains proteins needed to survive. (Clotting, electrolytes)

- Helps maintain blood pressure, regulates body temperature.

- Contains clotting (coagulation) factors.

RED BLOOD CELLS• Round with a flattish, indented center. ( like doughnuts, without the hole)

• Responsible for transporting Oxygen (Hemoglobin)

• Remove CO2 from blood and transport it to lungs to be exhaled.

• Created inside the marrow cavity of your bones. (life span of 120 days)

- Within a drop of blood there are about :

~5 million Red Blood Cells

~10,000 Platelets

~300,000 White Blood Cells.

-It takes about 1 minutes for a blood cell to circulate the body.

WHITE BLOOD CELLS• AKA Leukocytes

• Only account for 1% of your blood.

• Essential for good health and protection against illness.

• Also part of immune system.

• Created in bone marrow and stored in Lymphatic system.

• One drop of blood has 25,000 WBC in it.

BLOOD TYPES• Each letter refers to the protein (antigens) that can be found on the RBC surface.

• Type A blood has A- Type Antigens.

• Blood type is inherited from parents.

• O type lacks A or B proteins.

• Each blood type is also grouped by its Rhesus factor, or Rh factor. Blood is either Rh positive (Rh+) or Rh negative (Rh-). About 85% of Americans have Rh+ blood.

• Rhesus refers to another type of antigen, or protein, on the surface of red blood cells. The name Rhesus comes from Rhesus monkeys, in which the protein was discovered.

• Different kinds of animals have different kinds of blood. Dogs have 4 blood types; cats have 11; cows have about 800.

• Some people think blood type tells about personality. Legend has it that Type A is calm and trustworthy; Type B is creative and excitable; Type AB is thoughtful and emotional; and Type O is a confident leader.

BLOOD TYPES