Blood

Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). Medical terms related to blood often begin in hemo- or hemato- (BE: haemo- and haemato-) from the Greek word "haima" for "blood".

Anatomy of blood

Blood is composed of several kinds of corpuscles; these formed elements of the blood constitute about 45% of whole blood. The other 55% is blood plasma, a yellowish fluid that is the blood's liquid medium. The normal pH of human arterial blood is approximately 7.40. Blood is about 7% of the human body weight http://www.bloodcenters.org/aboutblood/bloodfacts.htm.

Related Topics:
Blood plasma - PH

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The corpuscles are:

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• Red blood cells or erythrocytes (96%). In mammals, these corpuscles lack a nucleus and organelles, so are not cells strictly speaking. They contain the blood's hemoglobin and distribute oxygen. The red blood cells (together with endothelial vessel cells and some other cells) are also marked by proteins that define different blood types.
• White blood cells or leukocytes (3.0%), are part of the immune system; they destroy infectious agents.
• Platelets or thrombocytes (1.0%) are responsible for blood clotting or coagulation and are involved in inflammation.

Blood plasma is essentially an aqueous solution containing 96% water, 4% blood plasma proteins, and trace amounts of other materials. Some components are:

Related Topics:
Blood plasma - Aqueous - Protein

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• albumin
• blood clotting factors
• immunoglobulins (antibodies)
• hormones
• various other proteins
• various electrolytes (mainly sodium)

Together, plasma and corpuscles form a non-Newtonian fluid whose flow properties are uniquely adapted to the architecture of the blood vessels.

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