What is the real color of our blood when it's not exposed to the environment??

Answer 1

Good question, but it can be a tricky answer. The red you think of comes from the heme molecule complexed with iron and fit inside the folds of the hemoglobin protein. As more O2 is bound in this manner, the conformation (3-D structure) of the protein changes to a slightly differently folded structure and reflects red light. As less O2 is bound, and more CO2 is bound, the folding of the protein changes, reflecting color more towards the blue spectrum, and the blood appears darker (think arterial versus venous blood).

Now, inside the body, since light does not really occur inside the vessels, there is no light to be reflected, so the blood is actually more or less clear. If you get a chance to view a Visible Heart scope video, you'll see that the light from the cardioscope shows the blood going through the heart to be clear, with no visible red reflection.

Answer 2

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RE:
What is the real color of our blood when it's not exposed to the environment??

Answer 3

Our blood is a brighter red when it leaves the lungs carrying oxygen. By the time it travels around the body and gets back to the heart the oxygen is mostly gone. Then the color is much less red. It is more of a dark blueish red.

Answer 4

Oxygenated blood is bright red. Blood somewhat depleted of oxygen is darker red, but appears blue when observed through blood vessel walls. That is why veins close to the surface of our body look blue.

Answer 5

blood is naturally deep red to a bright red depending upon its oxygen content. a deep red would indicate venous blood (blood in veins) which is the deoxegenated blood returning to the heart. bright red blood is arterial blood (blood in arteries) which indicates a higher level of oxygen. arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart after it has been replenished by the lungs by oxygen. by the way it is not blue

Answer 6

I heard in science class that if it's a vein that's returning for more oxygen, it's blue, but if it's one that has oxygen, it's red. When it's exposed it's red

Answer 7

depends on where in the body it is and how much oxygen it has in it =)

it ranges from dark red to bright red, but if I were you I'd call it brick red =)

Answer 8

Red. Dark red for oxygenated blood and lite red for oxygen poor blood.

Answer 9

depends on whether its coming from the lungs freshly oxygenated (brighter red) or going back to the lungs to drop off CO2 (darker red)

Answer 10

when there is a low oxygen but high carbon dioxide concentration , blood is purplish-red (haemoglobin). when there is high oxygen but low carbon dioxide concentration, blood is bright-red (oxyhaemoglobin).