Blood

Name:
Blood
Detailed information:
A complex, liquid tissue of d 1.056 and pH 7.35–7.45. It is comprised of erythrocytes (red cells), leucocytes (white cells), platelets, plasma, proteins, and serum. The plasma fraction (55–70%) is whole blood from which the red and white cells and the platelets have been removed by centrifuging. Hemoglobin is a protein found in the erythrocytes. It contains the essential iron atom and functions as the transport agent for oxygen from the lungs (arterial blood) and of carbon dioxide to the lungs from the heart (venous blood). Experimental work has been reported on the effectiveness of fluorocarbon compounds in carrying out the essential transport functions of blood, especially of the red cells.

Use:

Plasma is used to restore liquid volume and thus osmotic pressure in the body where blood loss has been extensive. Animal blood is used as a component of adhesive mixtures. In dried or powder form it is a component of fertilizers, poultry feeds, and deer repellents.

See Hemoglobin; Plasma; Platelet; Rhesus Factor.