The average human adult has 5L of blood in their body. Blood is made up of plasma, red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells. Blood is carried in several different types of blood vessels: capillaries, venules, veins, arterioles and arteries. Blood vessels carrying blood out of the heart are called arteries; blood vessels carrying blood to the heart are called veins.
Plasma makes up 54% of blood. It is a yellow liquid that carries nutrients, hormones, proteins, and waste, as well as blood cells. Plasma is about 90% water.
Red blood cells make up 45% of blood. They are doughnut-shaped disks the size of a pinhead. They contain hemoglobin, which picks up and transports oxygen and carbon dioxide. Hemoglobin is what gives red blood cells their red colour.
Platelets are small cells that help blood coagulate (clump together, like when a cut turns to a scab). They are smaller than red blood cells and make up less than 1% of blood.
White blood cells help the body fight infection. There are two major types of white blood cells: lymphocytes and monocytes. Lymphocytes are made in lymph tissue and they make antibodies to attack foreign substances (the lymph system is an independent network that hooks into the circulatory system - it has its own capillaries). Monocytes are made in the bone marrow and they swallow up (engulf) foreign bodies.
The Canadian Blood Services collects approximately 810,000 units of blood every year. Blood donation depends on a thorough knowledge of blood components and blood typing.
Blood donations can be saved and used as whole blood products or each unit of blood can be separated into different components in order to help as many different people as possible. Whole blood can be processed and separated into plasma, red blood cells, platelets and a variety of special factors.
Some blood diseases are directly the result of /or result in changes to the composition of blood. Investigate some of these diseases (anemia, lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, Sickle cell anemia, etc.) and recreate the "blood" of someone with any of these conditions. Compare to the normal "blood."
For more information on this topic check out these Let's Talk Science resources:
How fast does a heart pump blood? (Hands-on Activities) - Get active in this activity and explore the impact of exercise on your heart rate. Ready, set, GO!
My Stem Cell Donation Story (STEM in Context) - In April 2016, Let’s Talk Science volunteer Daniel Tarade donated stem cells to help a person who needed a stem cell transplant to survive. Learn what stem cells are, how and why people donate, and what Daniel’s experience was like.
The Immune Response (STEM in Context) - When you cut your finger, your immune system kicks in to protect you from pathogens.
What’s happening?
The average human adult has 5L of blood in their body. Blood is made up of plasma, red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells. Blood is carried in several different types of blood vessels: capillaries, venules, veins, arterioles and arteries. Blood vessels carrying blood out of the heart are called arteries; blood vessels carrying blood to the heart are called veins.
Plasma makes up 54% of blood. It is a yellow liquid that carries nutrients, hormones, proteins, and waste, as well as blood cells. Plasma is about 90% water.
Red blood cells make up 45% of blood. They are doughnut-shaped disks the size of a pinhead. They contain hemoglobin, which picks up and transports oxygen and carbon dioxide. Hemoglobin is what gives red blood cells their red colour.
Platelets are small cells that help blood coagulate (clump together, like when a cut turns to a scab). They are smaller than red blood cells and make up less than 1% of blood.
White blood cells help the body fight infection. There are two major types of white blood cells: lymphocytes and monocytes. Lymphocytes are made in lymph tissue and they make antibodies to attack foreign substances (the lymph system is an independent network that hooks into the circulatory system - it has its own capillaries). Monocytes are made in the bone marrow and they swallow up (engulf) foreign bodies.
Why does it matter?
The Canadian Blood Services collects approximately 810,000 units of blood every year. Blood donation depends on a thorough knowledge of blood components and blood typing.
Blood donations can be saved and used as whole blood products or each unit of blood can be separated into different components in order to help as many different people as possible. Whole blood can be processed and separated into plasma, red blood cells, platelets and a variety of special factors.
Investigate further
Some blood diseases are directly the result of /or result in changes to the composition of blood. Investigate some of these diseases (anemia, lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, Sickle cell anemia, etc.) and recreate the "blood" of someone with any of these conditions. Compare to the normal "blood."
For more information on this topic check out these Let's Talk Science resources:
How fast does a heart pump blood? (Hands-on Activities) - Get active in this activity and explore the impact of exercise on your heart rate. Ready, set, GO!
My Stem Cell Donation Story (STEM in Context) - In April 2016, Let’s Talk Science volunteer Daniel Tarade donated stem cells to help a person who needed a stem cell transplant to survive. Learn what stem cells are, how and why people donate, and what Daniel’s experience was like.
The Immune Response (STEM in Context) - When you cut your finger, your immune system kicks in to protect you from pathogens.
