2006-10-30 07:41:40 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
The blood flowing through the arteries, capillaries, and veins of our bodies contains many different materials and cells, each with a different function. Plasma, the liquid portion of the blood, comprises more than half of the blood. Plasma is light yellow in color, and is thicker than water, because it contains many substances, in addition to the actual blood cells. These substances include proteins, antibodies that combat disease, fibrinogen, which helps blood clot, carbohydrates, fats, salts, and others.
Red blood cells, or corpuscles, encased in blood vessels, color the blood. Since there are about 35 trillion of these tiny, round, flat discs circulating in one's body at any one time, their sheer number necessarily lends their red color to the blood.
As the young red blood cell matures, and takes on an adult form in the marrow of the bone, it loses it's nucleus, and it increases its production of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the red pigment, or color of blood, and contains iron, combined with protein.
When blood passes through the lungs, oxygen piggybacks on the hemoglobin of the red cells. From there, the red cells carry the oxygen through the arteries and the capillaries to all other cells of the body. Carbon dioxide from the body cells returns to the lungs through the veins in the same manner, by attaching to the hemoglobin.
Red blood cells have a life expectancy of approximately four months, before they are broken up, primarily in the spleen, and are replaced by new red blood cells. New cells are continuously generated to replace the old cells that have past their prime, and have been destroyed to make room for the younger generation.
2006-10-30 07:46:28 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Red Blood cells
2016-05-22 12:11:41 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Blood is red due to the color of oxygenated hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a highly conjugated compound, meaning it has a large number of alternating single and double bonds This configuration confers stablity to the molecule making it low energy. It absorbs light, but reflects only a specific wavelength, a low energy wavelength. When this falls withing the visible spectrum (380-740 nm), we perceive it as color.
2006-10-30 08:07:56 · answer #3 · answered by atammare 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Inside the body, the blood is color yellowish but when it goes out it becomes red, the reason for that happening is the oxygen
2006-10-30 09:41:13 · answer #4 · answered by jayveelim1323 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hemoglobin: The oxygen-carrying pigment and predominant protein in the red blood cells. Hemoglobin forms an unstable, reversible bond with oxygen. In its oxygenated state it is called oxyhemoglobin and is bright red. In the reduced state it is called deoxyhemoglobin and is purple-blue.
2006-10-30 07:45:05 · answer #5 · answered by ontopofoldsmokie 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Blood is red due to heme pigment.
Arterial (oxygenated) blood is bright red.
Venous (deoxygenated) blood is a deep crimson.
Veins appear blue due to effects of the venous wall and overlying skin.
2006-10-30 07:48:36 · answer #6 · answered by novangelis 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because it contains Iron. When Iron reacts with the Oxygen in your bloodstream it creates Iron Oxide (more commonly called rust) which is red in color.
2006-10-30 07:51:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it has something to do with the interaction between O2 and hemoglobin.
2006-10-30 07:44:06 · answer #8 · answered by ntoriano 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
blood is actually blue as you see in your veins... its the mixing with the air that turns it red
2006-10-30 07:44:02 · answer #9 · answered by ice_princess 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Cause if it was green we'd be from Mars...lol :)
2006-10-30 07:47:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋