what make the RBC red and why it is blue or darker in color in the veins?
2007-08-27 03:50:38 · 6 answers · asked by prettyflowersss 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
It is the iron-based hemoglobin in the cell. It can be oxidized or reduced. When it contains oxygen its colors is red. When it has given up its oxygen (in the veins) its color is blue.
If it was a bug it would have a copper-based oxygen carrier and the key color would be green.
2007-08-27 04:36:23 · answer #1 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Erythrocytes or RBC consist mainly of hemoglobin, a complex molecule containing heme groups whose iron atoms temporarily link to oxygen molecules in the lungs or gills and release them throughout the body.The color of erythrocytes is due to the heme group of hemoglobin. The blood plasma alone is straw-colored, but the red blood cells change color depending on the state of the hemoglobin: when combined with oxygen the resulting oxyhemoglobin is scarlet, and when oxygen has been released the resulting deoxyhemoglobin is darker, appearing bluish through the blood vessel walls. Pulse oximetry takes advantage of this color change to directly measure the arterial blood oxygen saturation using colorimetric techniques
Many people believe that the blood in the veins is *blue*; it is not. Venous blood is really dark red or maroon in color. Veins do have a bluish appearance and this may be why people think venous blood is blue
2007-08-27 06:45:07 · answer #2 · answered by bejoulais 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
oxygen makes the rbc red. and the veins appear blue because veins bring blood towards the heart from the rest of the body and that blood doesnt have oxygen at that time cuz it was used by the body. and thats why arteries appear red cuz they bring blood from the heart towards the rest of the body and that blood is rich in oxygen. hope this helps!
also when u have a cut and blood was coming out to be really bright red, its not really that bright in the body, because when it get exposed to an environment where theres a lot of oxygen, it tends to become brighter
2007-08-27 04:09:13 · answer #3 · answered by DDOSDDOSDDOSDDOS 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Heme (Fe) molecule makes the red color in a red blood cell.
Darker in a vein because the blood is being returned from the body, so it has a little less O2 in it. Bright, bright red in an artery because it is freshly oxygenated from the lungs.
2007-08-27 04:03:39 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Oxygen. Like when Iron rusts the iron in your blood turns red when in contact with oxygen.
2007-08-27 03:58:48 · answer #5 · answered by Martin K 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
oxygen makes it red
deoxygenation makes it look darker in veins
2007-08-27 04:26:54 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋