blood

Examples of blood in the following topics:

• Transfusions of Whole Blood

  • Whole blood refers to human blood transfusion from a standard blood donation.
  • Whole blood may also be altered and processed for use in blood transfusion.
  • Historically, blood was transfused as whole blood without further processing.
  • Most blood banks now split the whole blood into two or more components, typically red blood cells and a plasma component, such as Fresh Frozen Plasma, which is extracted frozen plasma from the blood splitting process.
  • Whole blood is a term used in transfusion medicine for human blood from a standard blood donation.

• Introduction to Blood Pressure

  • Blood pressure is a vital sign, reflecting the pressure exerted on blood vessels when blood is forced out of the heart during contraction.
  • Blood Pressure is the pressure that blood exerts on the wall of the blood vessels.
  • The pressure originates in the contraction of the heart, which forces blood out of the heart and into the blood vessels.
  • Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs.
  • The rate of mean blood flow depends on the resistance to flow presented by the blood vessels.

• Blood Pressure

  • Blood pressure is the pressure of blood against the blood vessel walls during the cardiac cycle; it is influenced by a variety of factors.
  • Blood pressure is the pressure of the fluid (blood) against the walls of the blood vessels.
  • The blood pressure of the systole phase and the diastole phase gives the two readings for blood pressure .
  • Stress triggers a decrease in the diameter of the blood vessels, consequently increasing blood pressure.
  • Blood pressure is related to the blood velocity in the arteries and arterioles.

• Diagnostic Blood Tests

  • Blood tests are laboratory analyses performed on a blood sample typically taken from a vein in the arm for diagnostic purposes.
  • Although the term blood test is used, most routine tests (except for most hematology) are done on blood plasma instead of blood cells.
  • If only a few drops of blood are needed, a fingerstick is performed instead of drawing blood from a vein.
  • Also, respiratory therapists are trained to extract arterial blood for arterial blood gases.
  • Blood tests can also be used to analyze the blood cells.

• Blood Flow in the Brain

  • Cerebral circulation is the movement of blood through the network of blood vessels supplying the brain, providing oxygen and nutrients.
  • Cerebral circulation refers to the movement of blood through the network of blood vessels supplying the brain.
  • The arteries deliver oxygenated blood, glucose and other nutrients to the brain and the veins carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart, removing carbon dioxide, lactic acid, and other metabolic products.
  • The amount of blood that the cerebral circulation carries is known as cerebral blood flow (CBF).
  • Too little blood flow (ischemia) results in tissue death.

• The Role of Blood in the Body

  • The components of blood include plasma (the liquid portion, which contains water, proteins, salts, lipids, and glucose), red blood cells and white blood cells, and cell fragments called platelets .
  • Supplying nutrients such as glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids either dissolved in the blood or bound to plasma proteins (e.g., blood lipids)
  • The cells and cellular components of human blood are shown.
  • Platelets form clots that prevent blood loss after injury.
  • Identify the variety of roles played by blood in the body

• Blood Groups and Blood Types

  • Blood type determines compatibility for receiving blood transfusions from other people.
  • Therefore, an individual with type AB blood can receive blood from any group, but can only donate blood to another group AB individual.
  • Therefore, a group O individual can only receive blood from a group O individual, but they can donate blood to individuals of any ABO blood group (ie A, B, O, or AB).
  • O blood is also known as "universal donor. "
  • Blood type (or blood group) is determined, in part, by the ABO blood group antigens present on red blood cell.

• Blood Flow in the Skin

  • Blood flow to the skin provides nutrition to skin and regulates body heat through the constriction and dilation of blood vessels.
  • The skin contains a network of small blood vessels containing muscle fibers in their tunica media.
  • When vasoconstricted blood flow through the skin is reduced and so less core heat is lost.
  • With restricted blood flow the skin appears paler.
  • With increased blood flow the skin appears red.

• Distribution of Blood

  • Blood is circulated around the body through blood vessels by the pumping action of the heart .
  • When blood vessels dilate, the flow of blood is increased due to a decrease in vascular resistance.
  • Therefore, dilation of arterial blood vessels (mainly the arterioles) causes a decrease in blood pressure.
  • Oxygenated arterial blood (red) and deoxygenated venous blood (blue) are distributed around the body.
  • Oxygen-rich blood is shown in red; oxygen-depleted blood in blue.

• Artificial Blood Substitutes

  • Blood substitutes are substances used to mimic the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, providing an alternative to blood transfusion.
  • A blood substitute (also called artificial blood or blood surrogates) is a substance used to mimic and fulfill some functions of biological blood, usually in the oxygen-carrying sense.
  • It aims to provide an alternative to blood transfusion, which is transferring blood or blood-based products from one person into another.
  • Blood substitutes are useful for many reasons.
  • Blood substitutes can be stored for much longer than transfusable blood, and can be kept at room temperature.