My roomie and I are having a debate. There are several questions posted about blood already, but we need some credible sources. Please help, we need to resolve this.
2007-05-15 07:25:02 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
When blood is inside your body, is it blood?
2007-05-15 07:45:19 · update #1
Yes, when it is out of oxygen.
2007-05-15 07:32:50 · answer #1 · answered by Knick Knox 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
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!
2016-05-18 22:37:32 · answer #2 · answered by ivana 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the people who have answered this questions obviously do not understand their biochemistry. Human blood is NEVER blue. The iron within the hemoglobin gives our blood its color...when oxygenated, the blood takes on a bright red hue...when there is less oxygen in the blood, it becomes a darker red. But at NO point is human blood ever blue. The illusion of blue comes from our skin having pigmentation and thus causing the illusion of blue, but blood is NEVER blue. And since WHEN is wikipedia a good scientific source for data?
Some insects with more defined circulatory systems will have other colors of blood, due to the type of metal within their circulation that will carry oxygen. If we change the metal in our blood, we could actually get a different color of blood...but until the iron is replaced with something else, human blood will remain red.
2007-05-17 10:43:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Blue blood (and blue appearing skin) is called cyanosis, which occurs when the percentage of oxygen in the blood drops below a certain threshold where hemoglobin is deoxygenated.
2007-05-15 08:03:10 · answer #4 · answered by formerly_bob 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At any one time about 1% of your blood is blue your red blood cells are blue until the heamaglobin matures. CO poisoning and lack of oxygen don';t make it blue.
2007-05-15 07:51:06 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In cases of carbon monoxide poisoning. Or when depleted of oxygen.
2007-05-15 07:32:30 · answer #6 · answered by Brian 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋