HUMAN BLOOD


Blood is the most important fluid in the body. Male contains  5-6 liters(10-12 pint) of blood while female contains only 4-5 liters(9-11 pints). Blood is connective tissue.It performs many important features in the human body. It is most important vascular fluid in human body. Blood cells are produced in the bone marrow of human body(specially long ones). Blood flows through the arteries,veins and capillaries.

 Without any obstruction the nutrients and useful objects are transported by the blood. Even nothing consumed during the transportation. That makes the blood an ideal mode of transportation in human body.


Important functions of blood

a. To transport nutrients and oxygen.
b. To remove carbon dioxide and waste products.
c. To regulate body temperature.

Three important components of blood

a. RBCs
b. WBCs
c. PLATELETS


RED BLOOD CELLS


RBCs are also called as erythrocytes. RBCs are in red color because of a pigment called haemoglobin present in the cells. RBCs produced in bone marrow and having life around 120 days. RBCs are the responsible for the transportation of oxygen in the whole body. RBCs are made up of two components HAEM means "iron" and GLOBULIN a "protein".

Globulin protein is responsible for binding oxygen and carbon dioxide. Haemoglobin binds with oxygen forms a very unstable compound called oxyhaemoglobin. This compound is very unstable which facilitate the transfer of oxygen to required place.

Haemoglobin combines with carbon dioxide and form a unstable compound called carbaminoxyhaemoglobin. This is also a very unstable which facilitate to pick up the carbon dioxide from required place.

RBCs are the only component responsible for the blood groups found in human beings. Antigens found on the RBCs responsible for the blood group and blood transfusion among humans.



Note:
Increase in RBCs is called Polycythemia.
Decrease in RBCs is called Erythropenia.
Common term used for Erythropenia is Anemia.


Important features of RBCs are

a. It is a spongy and biconcaval disk like structure.

b. Its spongy structure facilitate the RBCs to reach the finest capillaries for exchange of gases.

c. Initially RBCs have nucleus but after 10-15 days nucleus disappears and take biconcaval shape.

d. Biconcaval structure facilitate  more surface area to adhere the maximum amount of oxygen.

e. Absence of mitochondria facilitate cell to not consume oxygen by itself.

f. RBCs count for the Male is 4.2 -6.2 million per cubic microliter ad for females 4.0-6.0 cubic microliters.


WHITE BLOOD CELLS
white blood cells are also called as leukocytes.They are known as the soldiers of the body.They prevent our body by engulfing foreign particles like bacteria,virus and other harmful pathogens.They are responsible for our immune system.They have nucleus  and they can travel from one blood vessel to another and the process is called as diapedesis.

Classification of WBCs
a. Granular
b. Agranular

Neutrophils(40-60%),Eosinophils(1-4%) and Basophils(0.1-1%). 
They are classified as Granular. Granular are classified because their nucleus contains more than one lobe.

Lymphocytes(20-40%) and Monocytes(2-8%).These are classified as agranular.


Note :

Increase in WBCs count in blood(abnormally) called leukemia (leukocytosis) and commonly called as blood cancer.

Decrease in WBCs count in blood(abnormally)is called leukopenia.



Some important features of WBCs
a. They are largest(size) among all the components of blood.

b. They can change their shape to perform diapedesis.

c. They engulf the foreign substances like bacteria,viruses
and other pathogens and performs phagocytosis.



PLATELETS

Platelets are also called as thrombocytes.They perform the coagulation of blood. Their absence can cause the disorder called haemophilia which inhibits the process of clotting of blood. Blood without WBCs and RBCs and platelets is known as serum. Serum is the part of a blood which contains only nutrients and some kind of proteins.

Platelets count in blood is 1.5 lakhs to 4.5 lakhs(some reference also recommend 2 lakhs to 5 lakhs). It is the smallest component among all in the blood(according to size).

Low platelet count is called thrombocytopenia. Which increases the blood loss from the body and can cause death. If there is an increase of platelets count that condition is called as thrombocytosis. This will promote blood clotting in the human body that also leads to death.


Important features of platelets

a. Very important component of clotting to stop bleeding.

b. Important component for the immune system of mammals.

c. It maintain homeostasis.

CLOTTING BLOOD PROCESS



HOW DOES A BLOOD CLOT LOOKS LIKE?




REAL IMAGE OF BLOOD CLOT UNDER MICROSCOPE



SERUM
Yellow color fluid appears outside the clotting(on the body) that is called serum.Fluid which only includes some ions and very small constituents which can not be obstructed by fibrin(clotting is must).


PLASMA

People confuse serum and plasma,plasma is the liquid part that remains after removing all RBCs,WBCs and platelets(without clotting).


Difference shown with the help of pictures.


Please comment if any suggestion query or complaint.