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Blood oxygenates, nourishes, cleanses the tissues of metabolic products, reaches every cell of the body. A chemical preparation that could replace blood has not been invented so far. It is a miracle drug that cannot be purchased for any money. What is the uniqueness of blood?
Bloodoxygenates, nourishes, cleanses the tissues of metabolic products and protects he alth. About 5 liters of blood circulate in the veins of an adult human, which reaches each cell and binds them together into one organism.
We need blood as much as air and water. Therefore, if we lose a large amount of blood, an immediate transfusion is necessary. If you do not replenish your losses in time, you may even die.
Meanwhile, she is still lacking in blood donation stations. The dramatic situation prevails especially in the summer, when due to the greater number of accidents, the demand for blood also increases.
The solution would be to invent artificial blood. Unfortunately, although scientists around the world have been working on this for years, there is no preparation that can replace blood. In their opinion, it is impossible to invent a substitute for human blood, because it is too perfect.
Blood - composition
Blood consists of plasma, the liquid part, and the suspended living red and white cells and platelets.
Blood cells do not live long, but their amount is constantly replenished. In utero, blood cells are produced in the liver.
After birth, this function is taken over by the bone marrow. He produces them from immortal stem cells.
- Plasma . Over 90% is water. The rest are inorganic elements: incl. sodium, chloride and potassium ions; and organic: proteins, glucose, fatty acids, cholesterol, urea, metabolic products, as well as hormones and vitamins. Plasma transports nutrients, maintains a constant pressure and pH of the body cells, and thanks to immunoglobulins, it participates in defense reactions. The fibrinogen it contains is involved in blood clotting.
- Red blood cells (erythrocytes) . Their interior is filled with hemoglobin. As blood flows through the lungs, hemoglobin traps the oxygen molecules that bind to the iron it contains and carries them to all the cells in our body. On the way back, red blood cells take carbon dioxide from the tissues andthey carry it to the lungs, from where it is excreted during breathing. When this process is disturbed, the body becomes hypoxic. Erythrocytes live for 120 days. Then they go to the spleen and liver, where they break down. Iron is recovered from hemoglobin and the body uses it to produce new blood cells. The remaining compounds are converted into bilirubin, which, inter alia, gives yellow color.
- White blood cells (leukocytes) . Responsible for defense forces. Each group of leukocytes has a different role. - neutrophilic granulocytes - protect against infections and kill bacteria; - eosinophils - destroy foreign proteins and take part in the fight against parasites - basophils - prevent blood clots - monocytes fight bacteria, fungi, cancer cells and produce interferon that inhibits the growth of viruses - T lymphocytes coordinate the immune system. Some of them arise outside the bone marrow, such as in the lymph nodes. They live on average a few days.
- Platelets (thrombocytes) . They take part in blood clotting. When injured, they accumulate at the site of vessel damage, forming a plug. Soon, another blood component - fibrinogen dissolved in plasma - turns into insoluble fibrin. Its fibers form a kind of mesh on the wound, on which erythrocytes retain. This is how a clot is formed, which comes off when the wound heals. Thrombocytes only live a few days and then are broken down in the spleen.
If you are over 18 and under 65, weigh no less than 50 kg and feel he althy, you can donate blood. After a light, fat-free breakfast, report to the blood donation station. After completing the he alth questionnaire, the initial blood laboratory test, and general medical examination, your doctor will decide if you are eligible to donate blood. 450 ml of blood are taken at a time and samples are taken for detailed blood analysis to determine if the blood is safe for the recipient. If any of the tests are positive, the blood is destroyed. Men can donate blood every two, women every three months (for platelets every month) without any he alth detriment. After 2-3 weeks, the tissue completely regenerates. A person who donated blood is en titled to a regeneration meal (chocolate) and a time off from work (school) on the day of donating blood. You can get your laboratory test results free of charge (blood type determination, complete blood count, virological tests).
Blood - blood group
On the surface of red blood cells there are proteins called antigens. Antigens determine two basic blood group systems.
- AB0 layout .If you have A antigens, your blood type is marked with the letter "A", while B with the letter "B". If both - your blood type is "AB". But sometimes the antigens are not present, and then the blood has a group zero, which is marked with the number "0". Each antigen corresponds to specific antibodies (or lack thereof) in the plasma. They are designed to destroy foreign antigens if they appear in the blood and to stick "non-native" blood cells together. This is very important during blood transfusions. If the patient is given the wrong blood type, the antibodies step in. This reaction, called serological, can lead to severe complications and even death. People with group 0 are universal blood donors, while people with group AB are the best recipients (they can accept any blood as they do not have antibodies).
- Rh pattern . There can also be proteins called the D antigen on the surface of the red blood cells. If they are present, we have the Rh + group. When they are absent - the Rh- group. Rh factor may cause a serological conflict between mother and fetus. This happens when the mother is Rh- and her baby is Rh +. Then the D antigen from the fetal erythrocytes enters the mother's bloodstream, where it triggers a protective reaction and the production of anti-D antibodies. If the second child is also Rh + in the next pregnancy, anti-D antibodies from the mother's bloodstream into the fetus' blood start destroying their blood cells.
How do we inherit blood type?
Serological conflict
Diet according to blood type
Blood - functions
Blood performs many important tasks aimed at maintaining life processes. Its main task is the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the cells and the return transport of metabolic end products, e.g. carbon dioxide or urea.
Blood also transports hormones and other substances between cells. In addition, the blood maintains the water and electrolyte balance and regulates the pH value.
As part of the immune system, blood defends itself against foreign bodies and antigens through antibodies and phagocytes (phagocytes). Blood helps the body react to cuts (blood clotting and fibrinolysis).
In addition, due to the constant pressure exerted on the walls of blood vessels, blood also performs a supporting function. Therefore, blood may be responsible for organ movement (e.g. during an erection).
Continuous blood flow keeps your body warm (warm blood).
In he althy people it is around 36.5 ° C and this value applies to the temperature of the internal organs of the body (the temperature is superficiallyorgans, e.g. the skin may be different due to thermoregulation processes)
Read also:
- Blood transfusion - how is blood transfused?
- Is blood transfusion safe?
- What is serum and when is it administered?
If you want your blood to do its job well:
- Make sure your daily diet includes foods that contain a lot of iron. The best sources are liver and meat, as well as legumes, breakfast cereals, broccoli, and parsley.
- Combine vegetables and fruits with meat and other sources of iron. Vitamin C accelerates the absorption of this element.
- Iron absorption is impaired by tea, coffee and fiber-rich foods ( although they are the source of this element themselves). Therefore, use them in moderation.
- Do not forget about daily walks and do some sports. Oxygenation of the body and exercise stimulate the production of blood cells.
- You can spend a few days in the mountains. The lower oxygen concentration in the air in the highlands mobilizes the bone marrow to produce better red blood cells.
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