Did you know that blood is a very valuable thing in our body, like a fountain of life, constantly flowing and helping everything in your body to function properly? Although blood is mostly a liquid, it is thicker than water because it contains cells and proteins. To be precise, blood does a great job of keeping our bodies healthy.
What really happens to blood?
The blood flowing through your veins does some truly amazing work. Just think of how much these little things can do.
- Blood carries oxygen and nutrients throughout your body .
- When you are injured somewhere and bleeding, it helps to control the bleeding by forming blood clots .
- Your body fights hard to protect itself from germs and viruses.
- Blood also helps remove unwanted waste products that build up inside the body.
- Blood is also important for regulating your body temperature .
What are the components of blood?
Simply put, there are four main parts of blood. Each of these parts has a specific role.
1. Red blood cells
2. White blood cells
3. Platelets
4. Plasma
Red blood cells and plasma make up the majority of your blood. When combined, white blood cells and platelets make up less than 1% of your blood. Sometimes the mixture of these two is called the 'buffy coat'.
What are red blood cells (Erythrocytes)?
Now let's look at these red blood cells, or as doctors call them, ``Erythrocytes.`` Most of your blood, about 45%, is made up of these red blood cells.
- These cells get their distinctive red color from a protein called hemoglobin. This hemoglobin helps red cells carry oxygen to other cells for energy.
- The amazing thing is that these red cells can even sneak through the very fine capillaries, veins, and arteries of your circulatory system.
- But these red cells have a short lifespan. They live for about 120 days and are replaced by new cells.
What happens to white blood cells (leukocytes)?
White blood cells, or `(Leukocytes),` make up less than 1% of your blood. But they are the main soldiers of your `(Immune system).` When an enemy such as a virus, bacteria, or cancer cell attacks the body, these white blood cells are the ones who rush to find and destroy them. White blood cells can also travel from capillaries to tissues. There are five types of these white blood cells:
- Neutrophils: These kill bacteria and fungi, and also remove waste products from the outside world.
- Lymphocytes: These include T-cells, natural killer cells, and B-cells. They protect against viral infections and make antibodies to fight infections.
- Basophils: These respond to allergens.
- Eosinophils: Seek out and destroy parasites and cancer cells, and assist basophils in allergic responses.
- Monocytes: Seek out and destroy viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. They also remove damaged cells.
The role of platelets (Thrombocytes)
If one of your blood vessels is damaged and you start bleeding, the first thing that comes to the rescue are these platelets (thrombocytes). Platelets form blood clots, which seal off the damaged blood vessel and prevent a large amount of blood from leaking out of the body.
- These make up less than 1% of your blood, but there are tens of thousands of platelets in a single drop of your blood.
- They get their name "platelets" because of the way they function in the blood. Platelets are the lightest part of the blood. They're shaped like plates, stuck to the walls of blood vessels, where plasma and other blood cells flow.
- Platelets have a coating of sticky proteins that, like Velcro®, help them stick to broken blood vessels.
What is Plasma?
Your red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are all floating around in plasma. Plasma is a yellowish liquid that makes up about 55% of your blood. Plasma is like a multi-tasker in your blood, helping your body do many things. Here are some things that plasma does:
- It helps blood clot and protects against invaders.
- Hormones transport nutrients and proteins to different parts of the body and help in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
- It removes waste products from cells and takes them to your liver, lungs, and kidneys for disposal.
- Maintains your blood pressure and blood circulation.
- It regulates body temperature by absorbing and releasing heat.
What are blood types?
We don't all have the same blood type, right? There are four main blood types. These types differ depending on whether or not there are certain antigens in the blood. Antigens are substances that trigger your immune system to respond. Knowing your blood type is very important in an emergency.
Where is blood produced? Where is it located in the body?
Blood is something that flows throughout your body. But this blood starts to form in your bone marrow. The bone marrow contains a special type of cell called stem cells. These stem cells give rise to trillions of cells, including blood cells. Blood cells grow and mature in the bone marrow before they are collected in the blood vessels. Isn't it amazing? About 8% of your body weight is made up of blood .
What are the common diseases that affect the blood?
Unfortunately, our blood can also develop various diseases. There are three main groups of diseases that affect the blood: blood cancers, diseases that affect the functioning of the blood (blood disorders), and atherosclerosis, a disease of the cardiovascular system. Of these, blood cancers and blood disorders are the ones that affect the health of the blood the most.
Blood Cancers
Blood cancer occurs when something interferes with the process of making blood cells in your body. In a person with blood cancer, abnormal blood cells grow and crowd out normal, healthy blood cells. There are three main types of blood cancer:
- Leukemia: This is the most common type of blood cancer.
- Lymphoma: This is a cancer of your lymphatic system. Your bone marrow, which makes blood cells, is also part of the lymphatic system.
- Myeloma: This starts in the bone marrow and affects your plasma cells.
Other blood disorders
These are non-cancerous conditions, but they can cause various parts of your blood to not do their jobs properly. These include anemia, blood clotting disorders, and bleeding disorders.
Some blood diseases may not show any symptoms and may not require treatment. Others are lifelong ``chronic'' diseases that require treatment, but usually do not affect life expectancy. However, some blood diseases are very serious and can be life-threatening.
Doctors treat these blood diseases by controlling symptoms and treating the underlying cause.
Anemias
Anemia is the most common non-cancerous blood disorder. It occurs when your body doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells. Some people may have anemia that runs in their family, but it can also develop during their lifetime. There are many types of anemia. Some of the most common are:
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Pernicious anemia
- Sickle cell anemia
Blood Clotting Disorders
A blood clotting disorder affects either your platelets or your clotting factors. Clotting factors are proteins in your blood that help platelets control bleeding. You can develop a blood clotting disorder later in life, or you can inherit it through a genetic defect.
Prothrombin gene mutation and Factor V Leiden syndrome are examples of inherited blood clotting disorders. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) are examples of later-onset blood clotting disorders.
Bleeding Disorders
Bleeding disorders occur when your blood does not clot normally. This can cause you to bleed more than normal. Von Willebrand disease is the most common bleeding disorder in the United States. Hemophilia is another rare, inherited condition.
Your blood is a very valuable resource. It constantly takes care of your body, helping everything to function properly.
The most important thing we can learn from all of this (Take-Home Message)
Your blood is truly amazing, isn't it? It carries oxygen to your cells to make energy. It protects your body from outside enemies. It controls bleeding if you get injured. You can take care of your blood, but sometimes you can't avoid diseases that affect the blood. Fortunately, doctors today can treat many serious blood diseases, including leukemia and other blood disorders. Therefore, if you notice any changes in your blood or any unusual symptoms, it's best to seek medical advice right away. To stay healthy, it's important to be aware of this amazing fluid inside our bodies.
` Blood, blood, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, plasma, blood diseases
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