Why do people think deoxyhaemoglobin is blue????

Question

This drives me mad. What colour compounds does iron make?

Mutwuzi, you are not answering the question. I want to know why people think it, not what you think of my question. I'm interested because I met a high school science teacher who truly believed that blood can be blue and was telling kids this.

Answer 1

The iron compound in haemoglobin etc. turns blood red. RED, not blue.

Answer 2

Deoxygenated blood is a redish purple colour. We, as has been said, use blue to distish deoxygenated blood form oxygenated blood for diagrams and scematics of the circulation system as it is far easier and simplier to explain.

However, because we have made it simple, people only tend to remember what they have read and seen, and will thus think deoxygenated blood is blue. This was one of the main problems my lecturers in hte first year complained a lot about.

Answer 3

Oxygenated haemoglobin is red and deoxygenated heamoglobin is actually purple....its not red as previously stated.Asking why people think one thing is a fruitless search,its like asking why do two year olds say one plus one is eleven...there are an infinite amount of others,rather be concerned with the real colour-purple.

Answer 4

It's because of ignorance, and perhaps some confusion caused by diagrams showing blue blood in the veins and red in the arteries, and veins showing through your skin as blueish. Of course it's all red.

Answer 5

It's not blue, it might have a darker shade but we use this color scheme (red for oxygenized, blue for deoxy) to better visualize the circulation schematics. We thus know that the ''blue'' blood comes from the muscles and organs to the lungs, it's oxygen-poor. ''Red'' blood goes from the lungs to the organs.

Answer 6

When a human is in lack of oxygen, he turns blue....maybe that's why. But don't get mad because of that ;)

Answer 7

Can we get a doctor in here??

Answer 8

no it is because of the color of the viens