Blood Cells and Blood Function in Human body

7% of human body weight is made up of blood. In this post we will learn what is in the blood, the types of blood, Blood Cells and Blood Function in Human Body, Blood Groups, Blood Pressure and Human Body Parts

Blood Cells

Blood Is a transport system that carries oxygen and the essential chemicals to where they are need in the body. At the same time it picks up the waste that the different parts of the body no longer need and delivers that waste to whichever part of the body is responsible for getting rid of it. It helps us fight infections and keep our body healthy. It carries heat around our bodies, to keep our fingers warm and stop our brains from overheating.

What is in Blood?

More than half of blood is plasma. This is a clear, Pale yellow liquid, which carries all the blood cells and platelets and chemicals such as hormones and glucose.

Red Blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen round the body, and collecting carbon dioxide (say di-ox-ide) and taking it back to the lungs where it can be breathed out.

There are millions of red blood cells in one small drop of blood.

There cells are red because they hold a red color chemical call hemoglobin, which contains iron, carries oxygen from the lungs all round the body. Gets rid of the carbon dioxide that the body doesn’t need.

Blood Types

Our immune system does not damage cells in our own bodies because it recognises that they are ours. If cells from someone else’s body are place in our body, our immune system recognises that they are not ours, and destroys them.

For most body cells there are lots of different markers (antigens-say ant-i-jens) that tell our body, but for red blood cells there are only a few antigens (A, B and Rh) on their surface.

There are only four main types of blood

A (with a antigen on the surface of the red cells, but not B). B (with B antigen, but not A). AB (with both A and B). O (no A or B). Some years ago, after studying Rhesus monkey (because their blood is very similar to ours) scientists discovered some people had another antibody on their red blood cells while other did not. They called this the Rhesus factor and so now we know that people may have the same blood group, eg A, but some of them will be A Rh+, because they have the Rhesus factor, while other will be A Rh-, Meaning they do not have the Rhesus factor.

Blood Plasma

Nearly 7% of the body weight of a human is made up of blood.

Platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells are present in blood.

Blood consists of a yellow liquid which is know as blood plasma.

Blood plasma is primarily made up of water. 90% of blood plasma is water.

Blood plasma also consists of hormones, glucose, proteins, Gases, electrolytes and nutrients.

Platelets, white cells and red cells are all found floating in blood plasma.

Blood plasma can be separate using centrifuge device which spins blood at a very high speed. The cells then get collect at the bottom of the tube, separating blood plasma from the cells.

Only the red blood cells in our blood are responsible for carrying oxygen.

Blood cells

Red cells consist of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is actually a protein that contains iron. Oxygen combines with this iron color to our blood as well as hemoglobin.

Unlike red cells, the white cells in our blood form the defensive system of our body. These white cells are responsible for fighting viruses, bacteria and other infections diseases. They also fight cancer cells and other unwanted material that enter human body.

Platelets are completely different and are responsible for blood clotting whenever bleeding occurs because of a cut or bruise. This prevents unwanted loss of blood.