Is our blood ever blue?

Question

my science teacher insists that our blood is red, either light or dark red, she said if we get info stating that our blood is blue she ahs been wrong for 12 years, i dont like her so i want to prove her wrong i hpoe you can help me

Answer 1

it is red after it gets to the lungs and gets oxygen...

then it goes back to the heart for another pump, (4 chambers in the heart),

then it goes through the body and does it's job, turning blue in the process,
as it comes back to the heart from it's long trip from arteries to capillaries to veins, it is bluer,
it is still blue as it gets back to the heart for...
next pump...
then this blue blood goes to the lungs...

to get oxygen and turn red again!

and yes even blue vein blod will turn red as soon as it hits oxygen,
if you can extract it without exposure to the air it will be almost blue,
like not sky blue,
very ugly purpleish blue

Answer 2

Ok- you are both "right", but don't have the whole story apparently.

Blood contains hemoglobin molecules. Hemoglobin is what the oxygen molecules attach to. When there are oxygen molecule attached to the hemoglobin, it turns the blood cells bright red. The cell itself does not have a color! It is the hemoglobin inside the cell that lends its color.

When the gas exchange happens and the oxygen detaches and carbon dioxide attaches to the hemoglobin, it turns the blood a very dark red, almost a purplish color. Looking at our veins (veins carry deoxygenated blood 99% of the time- the only exception is the pulmonary vein, which carries oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart to be spread around the body) through our skin, the coloring of our skin tints the color we perceive, making the blood in the vein APPEAR blue. So blood can be "blue", but that's because we are not directly observing it. And no, blood will never be bright blue!

If you were to get a cut along the vein, the blood coming out of the cut would be dark red/purplish in color until it hits the oxygen in the air, turning it bright red again.

So all in all- your teacher has the right of it. Blood is either dark red (deoxygenated, which looks like it's blue through the skin), or bright red.

Sorry m'dear, but you're going to have to accept it. And just because you don't like someone doesn't mean they are wrong. Perhaps people shouldn't spend so much time and energy proving their enemies wrong- it would save a lot of embarresment!

Answer 3

I always thought it was dark red (venous blood) and bright red (arterial, or oxygenated, blood). I've given gallons of blood, and it goes into a transparent bag that never is exposed to the air. That blood is red. Sometimes rich people were referred to as 'bluebloods' but I always thought it was a figure of speech.

Just to be sure, I did a little research, and found this:
Human blood carries oxygen by binding it to the pigment hemoglobin, which contains iron and is red. But other creatures use different compounds to achieve the same purpose. The horseshoe crab, for example, has blue blood, colored by hemocyanin, which contains copper instead of iron. Even stranger, the sea cucumber uses vanadium, and has yellow blood. Generally speaking, the different systems evolve to deal with varying conditions having to do with temperature, acidity, and pressure.

And this:
Blue blood is an English expression recorded since 1834 for noble birth or descent; it is a translation of the Spanish phrase sangre azul, which described the Spanish royal family and other high nobility who claimed to be 'pure', free of Moorish or Jewish blood. In fact, all humans' blood is either bright red (in the arteries) or a darker hue of red (in the veins). However, in the ancient agricultural societies of Europe the whole upper class had superficial veins that might be more visible and appear bluish by comparison to the rest of the pale-pinkish skin, as the skin itself was not tanned. In contrast with the working class of the time (mainly peasants), nobility and in general upper class people did not have to work outdoors, and mostly lived sheltered from the sun by dwellings and attire. The same contrast could be observed between untanned upper class Europeans - especially of northern stock whose skin tends to be less pigmented - and all social strata of mediterranean populations with higher levels of genetically determined skin pigmentation. An alternative traditional explanation, argyria (a disease causing a blue-grey skin tone after digestion of silver), is considered less valid as table silverware was not massively and regularly used by much of the nobility.

So, it looks as if your teacher is right. Sorry -- and I really hope you didn't get so far "out there" in class that it'll be embarrassing for you.

Answer 4

The whole our blood is blue thing is a an old wise tale. Its red when it comes in contact with oxygen? Blood carries oxygen , if that was true and you're blood was blue you would be dead.
blood is red in or out of the body.

Answer 5

Hey there,

First thing: Blood is *never* blue. Blood is described as dark red (venous) or bright red (arterial). Our veins look blue because we are looking at them *through* our skin. The blood inside them is dark red and it doesn't reflect light very well. The blood you see when you get hurt is usually venous blood. Arterial blood comes out in spurts. It spurts every time the heart beats. I hope you never see that.

Sorry

Answer 6

Red blood is blood that is infused with oxygen. Blue blood is not. Blue blood is sent through the heart, into the lungs where it is infused with oxygen, from there the Red blood is pushed through the artaries to deliver oxygen to muscles, etc. Veins take the spent blood back toward the heart to transfer the gasses again, starting the whole process over again.

Answer 7

I don't believe it's actually blue. But I think it's a much darker color, like purple. It depends a lot if it's carrying oxygen cells too. My guess is she'll probably never change her mind. I've had annoying teachers and professors like this. Just deal with their narrow mindedness and take your good grade.

Answer 8

Ask her to explain why when you look at your veins (like on the top of your hand or foot) the color is blue and not red. It's because the blood is blue until the oxygen hits it and then it turns red.

Good luck! :)

Answer 9

ya our blood is red..... but i is also blue when it is in our veins cuz when its there then the blood cells droped off the oxygen in the lungs so ya it is blue and thats y the veins look blueish greenish so tell ur teacher 2 go back 2 skool

Answer 10

Yes our blood is blue in our body once it hits oxygen it turns red..tell her to look at her vains..good luck with that..