Visualizing the Composition of Blood

[lankisterguy]

Visualizing the Composition of Blood October 29, 2022 By Mark Belan

visualcapitalist.com/visual...

Have you ever wondered what blood is made up of? The Composition of Blood

With the average adult possessing five to six liters of blood in the body, this fluid is vital to our lives, circulating oxygen through the body and serving many different functions.

Despite its simple, deep-red appearance, blood is comprised of many tiny chemical components. This infographic visualizes the composition of blood and the microscopic contents in it.

What is Blood Made Up Of?

There are two main components that comprise blood:

Plasma – 55%

Plasma is the fluid or aqueous part of blood, making up more than half of blood content.

Formed elements – 45%

Formed elements refer to the cells, platelets, and cell fragments that are suspended in the plasma.

Plasma

Plasma is primarily made up of water (91%), salts, and enzymes, but it also carries important proteins and components that serve many bodily functions.

Plasma proteins make up 7% of plasma contents and are created in the liver. These include:

Albumins

These proteins keep fluids from leaking out of blood vessels into other parts of the body. They also transport important molecules like calcium and help neutralize toxins.

Globulins

These play an important role in clotting blood and fighting infections and are also transporters of hormones, minerals, and fats.

Fibrinogen and Prothrombin

Both of these proteins help stop bleeding by facilitating the creation of blood clots during wound-healing.

Water and proteins make up 98% of plasma in blood. The other 2% is made up of small traces of chemical byproducts and cellular waste, including electrolytes, glucose, and other nutrients.

Formed Elements

There are three categories of formed elements in blood: platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. Red blood cells make up 99% of formed elements, with the other 1% comprised of platelets and white blood cells.

Platelets (Thrombocytes)

Platelets are cells from the immune system with the primary function of forming clots to reduce bleeding from wounds. This makes them critical not only for small wounds like cuts but also for surgeries and traumatic injuries.

White blood cells (Leukocytes)

White blood cells protect our bodies from infection. There are five types of white blood cells with different roles in fighting infections: some attack foreign cells and viruses, some produce antibodies, some clean up dead cells, and some respond to allergens.

Red blood cells (Erythrocytes)

Red blood cells deliver fresh oxygen and nutrients all over the body. They contain a special protein called hemoglobin, which carries oxygen and gives blood its bright red color.

The lifespan of a typical red blood cell is around 120 days, after which it dies and is replaced by a new cell. Our bodies are constantly producing red blood cells in the bone marrow, at a rate of millions of cells per second.

Abnormal Red Blood Cells

Normal red blood cells are round, flattened disks that are thinner in the middle. However, certain diseases and medical therapies can change the shape of red blood cells in different ways.

Here are the types of abnormal red blood cells and their associated diseases:

composition of blood

Sickle cell anemia is a well-known disease that affects the shape of red blood cells. Unlike normal, round red blood cells, cells associated with sickle cell disease are crescent- or sickle-shaped, which can slow and block blood flow.

Other common causes of abnormally shaped red blood cells are thalassemia, hereditary blood disorders, iron deficiency anemia, and liver disease. Identifying abnormal blood cells plays an important role in diagnosing the underlying causes and in finding treatments.

The Functions of Blood

We know that blood is vital, but what does it actually do in the body?

For starters, here are some of the functions of blood:

Blood transports oxygen to different parts of the body, providing an energy source. It also delivers carbon dioxide to the lungs for exhalation.

The platelets, white blood cells, and plasma proteins in blood play an important role in fighting infections and clotting.

Blood transports the body’s waste products to the kidneys and liver, which filter it and recirculate clean blood.

Blood helps regulate the body’s internal temperature by absorbing and distributing heat throughout the body.

While we all know that we can’t live without blood, it serves many different functions in the body that we often don’t notice. For humans and many other organisms alike, blood is an integral component that keeps us alive and going.

Len

[JigFettler Volunteer]

An excellent celebration of a remarkable bodily fluid. Thanks Len! Jig

[AussieNeil Administrator]

Thanks Len and also the author, for encouraging sharing of that informative image. If only it was easier to read.

I've snipped out and enhanced a portion of the image of particular relevance to us: the make up of our White Blood Cell (WBC) count. Between 80 to 95% of a healthy WBC count is comprised of just two white blood cell types, neutrophils and lymphocytes. With neutrophils outnumbering lymphocytes by 3 to 1 in healthy blood, the influence of changes in our neutrophils on our WBC is significant until our WBC is above around 100. That's why it is important to monitor our absolute lymphocyte count rather than our WBC. I've seen many unnecessarily concerned members post about changes in their WBC when pretty well all that had changed was their neutrophil count. Ignore percentages and monitor absolute counts and you'll avoid unnecessary stress as illustrated here:

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Neil

Neutrophils outnumber lymphocytes by 3 to 1 in healthy blood counts.

[lankisterguy Volunteer in reply to AussieNeil]

Following the link visualcapitalist.com/visual... to the website provides a better image

Len

5 types of white blood cells