Human blood is an incredibly important fluid. Without this fluid, no human can survive. One of the most important functions of blood is to carry oxygen to different parts of the body. In absence of blood, body will fail to receive any oxygen which will result in death.
1. Nearly 7% of the body weight of a human is made up of blood.
2. Platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells are present in blood.
3. Blood consists of a yellow liquid which is known as blood plasma.
4. Blood plasma is primarily made up of water. 90% of blood plasma is water.
5. Blood plasma also consists of hormones, glucose, proteins, gases, electrolytes and nutrients.
6. Platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells are all found floating in blood plasma.
7. Blood plasma can be separated using centrifuge device which spins blood at a very high speed. The cells then get collected at the bottom of the tube, separating blood plasma from the cells.
8. Only the red blood cells in our blood are responsible for carrying oxygen.
9. Red blood cells consist of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is actually a protein that contains iron. Oxygen combines with this iron and gives the characteristic red color to our blood as well as hemoglobin.
10. Unlike red blood cells, the white blood cells in our blood form the defensive system of our body. These white blood cells are responsible for fighting viruses, bacteria and other infectious diseases. They also fight cancer cells and other unwanted material that enter human body.
11. 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.
12. While blood clotting is meant for good, it can become dangerous. If blood clots in blood vessels of heart, one can experience heart attack. Similarly, blood clot in brain can lead to stroke.
13. Blood is not just responsible for carrying oxygen to different parts of the body. It also carries nutrients to body cells. At the same time, it also carries away unwanted waste material away from the cells.
14. Blood pressure is actually the pressure exerted by blood on blood vessel walls. BP is a vital sign of life.
15. High BP implies increased risk of stroke and heart attack.
16. Average blood pressure will always vary from one person to another despite the fact that standard considered BP is 112/64 mmHg.
17. Though we are familiar with common blood types A, B, AB and O, which is a part of simplified ABO system, there are actually around 30 different recognized blood groups or blood types.
18. An adult body has 100,000 kilometers or 60,000 miles of blood vessels running throughout the body.
19. The average volume of blood present in an adult male body is 5.6 liters while an adult female body contains 4.5 liters of blood on an average.
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