The Basics of Blood
Without blood your body would stop working. Every cell in your body gets its nutrients from blood. An average adult has about 5 liters (5.3 quarts) of blood
coursing through their body. This makes up for about 7 to 8 percent of body weight. Of the 5 liters, 2.75 to 3 liters is plasma and the rest is the living
cellular (red and white blood cells, etc.) portion.
Plasma is the liquid (90% water) portion of blood. Red and white blood cells as well as other substances float in the plasma as they are circulated throughout the body. Plasma is the transportation for the cells.
Red blood cells (RBCs), also called erythrocytes, are the most numerous cells in the blood. They account for approximately 40 to 45% of the blood. The percentage of blood made up of RBCs is a frequently measured number and is called hemocrit. The average life cycle of a RBC is 120 days. Your bones are continually producing new blood cells replenishing your supply.
The primary function of RBCs is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the cells of the body and remove waste. RBCs contain a protein called hemoglobin, which carries 97% of the oxygen to the cells. RBCs are red only because of the hemoglobin, which is bright red in color.
White blood cells (WBCs) also called leukocytes, are part of the immune system and help our bodies fight infection. When a germ appears, the WBCs have a variety of ways they can attack. Some will produce protective antibodies that will overpower the germ. Others will surround and devour the bacteria.
A drop of blood can contain from 7000 to 25,000 WBCs at a time. When the number of WBCs in your blood increases, this is a sign of an infection somewhere in your body. A consistently high number of WBCs is a symptom of Leukemia, a cancer of the blood. The average life cycle for a WBC is a few days to a few weeks.
Platelets also called thrombocytes, are sticky, irregular-shaped, colorless bodies present in blood. They are formed in the bone marrow and generally last for an average of 10 days.
When bleeding from a wound suddenly occurs, the platelets gather at the wound and attempt to block the blood flow. The mineral calcium, vitamin K and a protein called fibrinogen help the platelets form a clot.
A clot begins to form when the blood is exposed to air. The platelets sense the presence of air and begin to break apart (degranulate). They react with the fibrinogen to begin forming fibrin, which resembles tiny threads. The fibrin threads then begin to form a web-like mesh that traps the blood cells within it. This mesh of blood cells hardens as it dries, forming a clot, or scab.
Within this fibrin clot that is formed at the wound site, the platelets break apart thus releasing these growth factors.
Plasma is the liquid (90% water) portion of blood. Red and white blood cells as well as other substances float in the plasma as they are circulated throughout the body. Plasma is the transportation for the cells.
Red blood cells (RBCs), also called erythrocytes, are the most numerous cells in the blood. They account for approximately 40 to 45% of the blood. The percentage of blood made up of RBCs is a frequently measured number and is called hemocrit. The average life cycle of a RBC is 120 days. Your bones are continually producing new blood cells replenishing your supply.
The primary function of RBCs is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the cells of the body and remove waste. RBCs contain a protein called hemoglobin, which carries 97% of the oxygen to the cells. RBCs are red only because of the hemoglobin, which is bright red in color.
White blood cells (WBCs) also called leukocytes, are part of the immune system and help our bodies fight infection. When a germ appears, the WBCs have a variety of ways they can attack. Some will produce protective antibodies that will overpower the germ. Others will surround and devour the bacteria.
A drop of blood can contain from 7000 to 25,000 WBCs at a time. When the number of WBCs in your blood increases, this is a sign of an infection somewhere in your body. A consistently high number of WBCs is a symptom of Leukemia, a cancer of the blood. The average life cycle for a WBC is a few days to a few weeks.
Platelets also called thrombocytes, are sticky, irregular-shaped, colorless bodies present in blood. They are formed in the bone marrow and generally last for an average of 10 days.
When bleeding from a wound suddenly occurs, the platelets gather at the wound and attempt to block the blood flow. The mineral calcium, vitamin K and a protein called fibrinogen help the platelets form a clot.
A clot begins to form when the blood is exposed to air. The platelets sense the presence of air and begin to break apart (degranulate). They react with the fibrinogen to begin forming fibrin, which resembles tiny threads. The fibrin threads then begin to form a web-like mesh that traps the blood cells within it. This mesh of blood cells hardens as it dries, forming a clot, or scab.
Within this fibrin clot that is formed at the wound site, the platelets break apart thus releasing these growth factors.