Why is the blood red? What is blood? The norm with light menstruation.

Science knows that different living organisms on the planet have a different shade of blood.

However, in humans, it is precisely red. Why is blood red this question is asked by both children and adults.

The answer is quite simple: red is due to hemoglobin, which contains iron atoms in its structure.

It makes hemoglobin red blood, which consists of:

• From a protein called globin
• The non-protein element heme, which contains the ferrous ion.

There are four hemes in hemoglobin molecules. Their number is 4 percent of the total mass of the molecule, and globin accounts for 96 percent.

The main action in the activity of hemoglobin belongs to the iron ion.

Bivalent iron oxide makes the blood red.

The metal that contributes to the reproduction of red blood cells is continuously produced by the human body.

Nitric oxide in turn plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure.

Types of blood

Composition

Blood is a rapidly renewing connective tissue that circulates continuously throughout the human body.

We managed to find out what gives the color red, but its elements are no less interesting. What elements give it such a color is no less interesting aspect.

In the blood:

• Plasma. The liquid is light yellow, with its help cells in its composition can move. It consists of 90 percent water, and the remaining 10 percent are organic and inorganic components. Plasma also contains vitamins and trace elements. The light yellow liquid contains many beneficial substances.
• Shaped elements of blood cells. There are three types of cells: white blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells. Each type of cell has specific functions and characteristics.

These are white bodies that protect the human body. They protect it from internal diseases and foreign microorganisms that penetrate from the outside.

It is a white element in color. Its white shade cannot be overlooked during laboratory studies, so such cells are determined quite simply.

Leukocytes recognize foreign cells that can cause harm and destroy them.

These are very small colored plates, whose main function is folding.

It is these cells that are responsible for ensuring that the blood:

• Curled up, did not flow out of the body,
• Coagulating rather quickly on the surface of the wound.

There are more than 90 percent of these cells in the blood. It is also red in color because erythrocytes have such a shade.

They carry oxygen from the lungs to peripheral tissues and are continuously produced in the bone marrow. They live for about four months, then are destroyed in the liver and spleen.

It is very important for erythrocytes to deliver oxygen to various tissues of the human body.

Few people know that immature erythrocytes are blue, then turn gray and only then turn red.

There are a lot of human erythrocytes, which is why oxygen reaches peripheral tissues so quickly.

It is difficult to say which element is more significant. Each of them has an important function that affects human health.

Children often ask questions about the constituents of the human body. Blood is one of the most popular topics for discussion.

Explanations for children should be extremely simple, but at the same time informative. Blood contains many substances that differ in function.

Consists of plasma and special cells:

• Plasma is a liquid that contains nutrients. Has a light yellow tint.
• Form elements are erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets.

The presence of red cells in erythrocytes also explains its color. Erythrocytes are red in nature, their accumulation leads to the fact that a person's blood is of this color.

There are about thirty-five billion red cells that move through the human body in the blood vessels.

Why are veins blue

Veins carry burgundy blood. They are red, like the color of the blood that flows through them, but not blue. The veins only appear blue.

This can be explained by the laws of physics about light reflection and perception:

When a beam of light hits the body, the skin bounces off some of the waves and looks light. However, it passes the blue spectrum much worse.

Blood itself absorbs light of all wavelengths. The skin gives a blue color for visibility, and the vein is red.

The human brain compares the color of a blood vessel against a warm skin tone, resulting in blue.

Blood of a different color in various living things

Not all living organisms have red blood.

The protein that gives this color in humans is hemoglobin, which is contained in hemoglobin. Other living things have other fat-containing proteins instead of hemoglobin.

The most common shades besides red are:

• Blue. Crustaceans, spiders, molluscs, octopuses and squids can boast of this color. And blue blood is of great importance for these creatures, as it is filled with important elements. Instead of hemoglobin, it contains hemocyanin, which contains copper.
• Violet. This color is found in marine invertebrates and some molluscs. Usually such blood is not only purple, but also slightly pink. Pink blood in young invertebrates. In this case, the protein is hemerythrin.
• Green. Found in annelids and leeches. The protein chlorocruorin is close to hemoglobin. However, iron in this case is not oxide, but acidic.

It consists of a liquid part called plasma and corpuscles - blood cells. Normally, plasma makes up about 55% of the total volume, cells - about 45%.

Plasma

This pale yellow liquid has very important functions. Thanks to the plasma, the cells in suspension in it can move. It consists of 90% water, the remaining 10% are organic and inorganic components. Plasma contains trace elements, vitamins, and intermediate metabolic elements.

Cages

There are three types of shaped elements:

• leukocytes - white bodies that perform a protective function, protecting the body from internal diseases and foreign agents that penetrate from the outside;
• platelets - small colorless plates responsible for clotting;
• erythrocytes are the very cells that make the blood red.

Red blood cells give blood a red color

Erythrocytes

These cells, called red blood cells, make up the majority of the corpuscles - over 90%. Their main function is to transfer oxygen from the lungs to peripheral tissues and carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs for its further removal from the body. Red blood cells are continuously produced in the bone marrow. Their lifespan is about four months, after which they are destroyed in the spleen and liver.

The color of blood is different depending on whether it flows from the heart or to the heart. The blood that comes from the lungs and then goes through the arteries to the organs is saturated with oxygen and has a bright scarlet color. The fact is that hemoglobin in the lungs binds oxygen molecules and turns into oxyhemoglobin, which has a light red color. Entering the organs, oxyhemoglobin releases O₂, converts again into hemoglobin. In peripheral tissues, it binds carbon dioxide, takes the form of carbohemoglobin and darkens. Therefore, the blood flowing through the veins from tissues to the heart and lungs is dark, with a bluish tinge.

An immature erythrocyte contains little hemoglobin, so at first it is blue, then it turns gray, and only when it matures, it becomes red.

Hemoglobin

It is a complex protein containing a pigment group. One third of the erythrocyte consists of hemoglobin, which makes the cell red.

Hemoglobin consists of a protein - globin, and a non-protein pigment - heme, which contains a ferrous ion. Each hemoglobin molecule contains four hemes, which make up 4% of the total mass of the molecule, while globin accounts for 96% of the mass. The main role in the activity of hemoglobin belongs to the iron ion. To transport oxygen, heme reversibly binds to the O₂ molecule. Ferrous oxide and gives the blood a red color.

Instead of a conclusion

The blood of humans and other vertebrates is red, due to the iron-containing protein hemoglobin in it. But there are living creatures on Earth, whose blood contains other types of protein, and therefore its color is different. In scorpions, spiders, octopuses, crayfish, it is blue, since it contains the hemocyanin protein, which includes copper, which is responsible for the shade. In marine worms, the blood protein contains ferrous iron, which is why it is green.

Causes of light or scarlet blood during menstruation

If light blood appears during menstruation, and before menstruation was of a different nature (color, consistency, smell), you should immediately visit a gynecologist. Often, such discharge is a sign of a serious illness. You may need to consult a neurologist and endocrinologist.

Norm with light menstruation

In the absence of deviations, the color of the secreted fluid can be scarlet, dark red or brown in the first and last days (daub). It also contains splashes of mucus, fragments of the rejected endometrium

Menstruation should be without the presence of an unpleasant (fetid) odor, itching, burning, severe pain, black color. This is considered normal if menstruation began on time, not less than 21 days from the previous critical days, the blood does not clot, the total volume of discharge does not, on average, exceed ml for the entire period, and their duration ranges from 3 to 7 days.

If women of reproductive age have periods like water with blood for the entire period, then at the end of it it will be necessary to seek advice from a gynecologist. It is recommended to be examined using ultrasound (transvaginal), video colposcope (extensive colposcopy), donate blood to determine the level of hemoglobin, hormones.

In girls, for a year or 2 years after menarche and in women during premenopause, the preservation of the scarlet (light) color of menstrual blood is not a pathology. However, a doctor's examination is recommended to rule out diseases.

Light, not abundant bleeding 2-2.5 weeks after menstruation can be due to ovulation (when the egg is released, the hormonal background changes, the follicle membrane is damaged). They can be implantation bleeding, when the embryo is introduced into the endometrial tissue, rupturing the vessels. Normally, such red discharge lasts from several hours to 3-5 days, which is why women perceive it either as a period or as a deviation.

Pathology with light menstruation

There are several reasons why the discharge remains bright red, pink or lightly colored (beige), or the critical days appear ahead of time. These are endocrine, gynecological and venereal diseases, spontaneous abortions at an early stage of pregnancy, vaginal bleeding, trauma to the mucous membranes by an intrauterine device, a consequence of unsuccessful curettage, and a cancerous tumor.

Symptoms of pathological abnormalities:

• less than 3 weeks or more than 35 days have passed between periods;
• scanty or heavy periods, or they last longer than 7 days;
• there are clots larger than 2-2.5 cm;
• systematic cycle failures;
• the light color of blood remains throughout the entire period of critical days;
• an unpleasant smell reminiscent of rotten fish;
• itching, dryness;
• body temperature is above normal;
• cutting or other pain in the genitourinary organs, tracts;
• scanty discharge becomes more abundant over time, without signs of completion;
• bleeding regularly recurs every few days.

If there is at least one symptom, a diagnosis should be carried out immediately to find the cause of the deviation. A gynecological examination is required, even if the color of menstruation is normal (dark red, not bright), but there are other symptoms of pathology. Early diagnosis will help avoid complications, one of which is iron deficiency anemia.

The reasons for the appearance of a light color of blood:

• criminal abortion;
• miscarriage;
• sexually transmitted bacterial infections (STDs);
• medical instrument damage to mucous membranes or endometrium;
• incorrectly selected hormonal drugs, including contraception;
• low hemoglobin levels.

With the help of a gynecologist, laboratory and hardware diagnostics, it is easier to identify the causes that provoked bleeding or to exclude factors that contribute to its recurrence. For example, they select adequate hormonal contraception, prescribe vitamin therapy, remove the intrauterine device, eliminate the consequences of abortion and use other methods of treatment.

Bacterial vaginosis

The vaginal microflora of women contains lactobacilli, which maintain the optimal acidity of the genital tract environment and suppress the pathogenic infections streptococcus, E. coli, staphylococcus and other agents. If their natural level is violated, a woman may develop gardnerellosis (synonyms: dysbiosis of the vaginal environment, bacterial vaginosis).

Usually, the number of lactobacilli changes due to excessive douching, the use of low-quality products for intimate hygiene, after intercourse (unprotected sex) or drug treatment (a side effect of drugs). Pathology does not belong to venereology.

Symptoms of the disease: discharge stinks of rotten fish (the aroma intensifies after sex), light blood, a lot of mucus, itching. For diagnosis, smears are additionally taken from which pathogenic microflora will be sown.

When vaginosis is confirmed, therapy is prescribed with the use of antibacterial drugs and other drugs appropriate to the treatment of a particular stage of the disease. It is imperative to eliminate gardnerellosis in order to avoid inflammatory processes.

During menstruation, the blood can be pink, bright red, or slightly colored water (ichor). If a pregnancy test has already been obtained (standard or hCG), then such a menstruation is a sign of a spontaneous abortion. This situation requires medical supervision with possible hormonal adjustments to preserve the fetus.

However, it is not uncommon for the menstrual cycle to operate according to the schedule throughout the first trimester and a light ichor without clots appears instead of menstruation. Consultation of a doctor is desirable.

Conclusion

A woman is advised to undergo regular routine medical examinations to protect herself from complications of various diseases. After all, light menstrual blood occurs when the thyroid gland is disrupted (hormonal disruptions), due to overwork, chronic fatigue, poor nutrition (hard diets), diseases of the nervous system and for many other reasons.

Should you sound the alarm if your period is bright scarlet?

Menstrual blood color is an indicator of a woman's health and normal cycle, so you need to know what color your period should be. The statistical norm is a dark, red-brown or burgundy color of blood, small inclusions of mucus and clots - particles of dead uterine mucosa are possible. At the very beginning, menstruation in a healthy woman may well be of a lighter color: scarlet or red. The color of blood is determined by the content of iron in it, therefore, in the first 1-2 days, when the process has just begun and fresh blood comes out, menstruation may be scarlet and not as thick as in the last days, when blood and rejected endometrial particles have already oxidized and coagulated ...

However, the process of oxidation and darkening of the blood is mandatory, and if your period is already 4–5 days, but their color does not change towards brown, you should listen to your body. Scarlet discharge for several days or a week may not be monthly, but uterine bleeding. Bleeding requires immediate medical attention, accurate diagnosis, and the use of haemostatic agents, along with treating their cause.

Dark menstrual blood is characteristic of the overwhelming majority of women, but red menstruation, scarlet, and even pinkish are the norm options, because often the color of blood depends on its chemical composition, which can differ even in one woman at different periods of her life and change during of the year. For those who have a steady and stable cycle, it will not be difficult to notice a change in the color of the discharge. If normally your blood is always lighter than the almost black venous, it means that pinkish or orange blood will be an alarming signal for you, or, conversely, too dark discharge from the first day. In this case, it is not the scarlet blood itself that should disturb, but the unusual color or consistency of menstruation. Especially dangerous is a new shade of blood for you, combined with a paucity of secretions or pain, if you notice this combination of symptoms, you need to immediately go to an appointment with a gynecologist.

How to distinguish bleeding from menstruation?

• First of all, evaluate the color, consistency and smell of the discharge, their duration. Menstrual blood has a rather specific smell, while when bleeding, blood is almost odorless, more liquid, more fluid, without mucus and pieces of endometrium. On the other hand, an excessive amount of small clumps is also indicative of problems.

• The intensity of discharge during menstruation is on average 20-50 ml per day, maximum 60 ml. Menses come out in portions, in them most often you can observe the inclusion of hard tissues and clots. If your red blood goes continuously, in a uniform flow, the abundance of which is much higher than your usual menstruation - urgently see a doctor! Even in 1 hour of bleeding, a woman can lose a large volume of blood, fainting and weakness occur. Blotting a tampon or pad in an hour or two should alert you.

• Cycle timing failure. Did you start your period a week earlier or later than you expected? Moreover, the blood is scarlet, the discharge is unusually scarce or too abundant. Probably, this is not menstruation at all, but a hormonal imbalance or even an ectopic pregnancy. You need to immediately undergo an ultrasound scan and visit a doctor. The same applies to the duration of the cycle, if the bleeding lasted for 3 or more than 7 days, you have a reason to visit the doctor.

• Weakness, fatigue, pallor of the face and hands, chills. You are not able to do ordinary things and lead your standard lifestyle, you get tired instantly and want to lie down to sleep, dizzy and a headache, coordination of movements is impaired. All of these symptoms indicate blood loss and the need for immediate medical attention.

Even the smallest suspicion of bleeding, not related to the natural menstrual cycle, is a good reason for an urgent visit to the doctor!

When to worry about the bright scarlet color of your period?

There are several other reasons why your period is scarlet. Such discharge is possible in young girls during the formation of the menstrual cycle. Another age group for which this feature is characteristic is women who will soon have menopause or the menopause process has already begun. In both cases, cardinal changes in hormonal levels affect the color of menstruation. Most often, bright discharge is not the only difference from the usual course of menstruation; the period of discharge, its intensity and nature also fluctuate. For women of reproductive age, such symptoms are unusual, and often signal problems in the field of gynecology.

More troubling causes of light red or scarlet blood can be low hemoglobin levels in the blood or other problems with the hematopoietic system. If you notice such a symptom for several months, you should take a general blood test and seek advice not only from a gynecologist, but also to other specialists.

Scarlet menstruation can be the result of various gynecological diseases or dysfunctions of the reproductive system. Hypomenoria, the consequences of chronic infections and inflammatory processes in the pelvic organs, ovulatory and anovulatory bleeding, the first signs of oncological processes, ectopic pregnancy - all this can affect the color of the blood. And in each of these cases, self-diagnosis and self-medication are categorically contraindicated, it is imperative and immediately necessary to undergo examination and treatment.

What can be determined by the color of the blood?

The color of the blood varies according to the source of the blood loss. Depends on tissue oxygenation. There is no oxygen in the venous blood, it depends on the saturation of CO2. (tissue exchange). Although, most often bleeding is of a mixed nature.

Arterial blood is bright scarlet, from the site of injury it flows out in dots, corresponding to cardiac output with each heartbeat. Capillary blood is taken from the finger. With anemia from both the finger and the vein - liquid, light.

Venous blood is dark, maroon. Blood is often taken from a vein for analysis and can be seen immediately: thick or not, in some cases, it curls up immediately in a test tube. In case of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, the blood is very thick, there is a high risk of thrombosis in the vascular system.

With hemoptysis, blood is also different. Sometimes scarlet, streaked, sometimes dark clots - beware of pulmonary hemorrhage with tuberculosis. Sometimes you need to ask to cough up on a handkerchief or napkin and see the nature of hemoptysis. The intensity of bleeding depends on the area of \u200b\u200bthe lesion and the size of the vessels. What is shown on TV is not the reality at all)

For abrasions and superficial injuries with damage to the skin - dark blood from the capillary bed. Epistaxis - blood and not scarlet, and not dark, sometimes clots. You cannot swallow them.

Bleeding into the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract - blood in the feces from the esophagus (M-Weiss syndrome), stomach, duodenum 12, high intestinal tract, ulcers and erosions in ulcerative colitis (NUC) changes the color of feces as "tar" "- melena. If the blood from the superficial veins of the intestine or superficial hemorrhoids - red blood, in the form of ribbons on the feces.

Color of menstruation: blood is bright red, reasons, what is the danger

Why is red color dangerous?

1. Pale skin.
2. Drowsiness.
3. Dizziness.

Causes of bright red menstruation

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Menstrual flow color

The menstrual cycle is a reflection of women's health. From the beginning of the first menstruation in the life of every girl, a menstrual calendar appears, the countdown of days and control of regularity begin. If any malfunctions appear in the body, critical days begin earlier or later than the due date. But this is not the only reason that becomes a cause for concern for the fair sex. Many girls and women notice changes in the color of their menstrual flow. Some ignore this phenomenon, others begin to ascribe to themselves various diagnoses. In this article, we will figure out which shade of menstruation is the norm, and also find out which discharge indicates a violation of women's health.

The color of your period can tell a lot about a woman's health.

Bright red menstruation: normal or abnormal?

The color of the menstrual blood reflects the picture of health. It depends on the level of iron in the body. At the beginning of menstruation, when the body is actively restructuring, there may be a bright red discharge. At the beginning of menstruation, the secret may differ in consistency, they may not be as viscous and thickened as in the middle of critical days. Starting from the second day of menstruation, an active oxidation process occurs, and the blood gradually changes color, it darkens. If neither on the second nor on the third day, the blood darkened, then, in the menstrual cycle, failures occurred. The bright red tint of menstrual secretion may indicate serious disturbances in the body.

Red menstrual secretion, which resembles the color of ordinary blood, does not appear as a pathology in two age categories. Menstruation of this color can be in adolescents, whose cycle is at the stage of formation, as well as in women during menopause. During these periods, hormonal changes are natural and stabilize on their own, without medication. If scarlet discharge during menstruation is observed several cycles in a row, specialist advice is needed. It is possible that it will be necessary to normalize the hormonal balance in the body with the help of special means.

The red color of your period can be a sign of hormonal imbalance.

Why is red color dangerous?

If the bright red discharge lasts several days in a row, it may not be menstruation at all, but uterine bleeding. Sometimes the presence of such a secret indicates an ectopic pregnancy. In such a situation, not only the color of menstruation is important, but also the characteristics of well-being. Direct signs of blood loss are:

1. Excessive weakness and unnecessary tiredness.
2. Pale skin.
3. Drowsiness.
4. Dizziness.

If red discharge is combined, at least one of these signs, it is recommended that you urgently seek medical help. Careless attitude to one's health threatens with large blood loss.

Paleness and constant fatigue are signs of bleeding

Causes of bright red menstruation

If you do not belong to crisis groups (adolescence and menopause) and notice that with the onset of menstruation, the discharge has changed its color, be careful. Bright red periods can indicate the presence of various diseases:

1. The presence of inflammatory processes in the body. It can be a common cold, or it can be serious dysfunction.
2. Menstruation red can be in the presence of gynecological diseases.
3. If the cycle is regular, bright periods end within 3-7 days (normal for menstruation) and you do not feel pain in the abdomen, then this may indicate a low level of hemoglobin in the blood, and a decrease in immunity.
4. The red menstrual secretion is caused by hormonal disruption in the body. It can be caused by disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system.
5. Red discharge, similar to normal blood, can warn of the appearance of malignant tumors. The affected internal organs of the female reproductive system begin to bleed, the color of menstruation changes.

Normally, the shade of menstruation should be burgundy or dark red. The color of the secret can change during critical days. On the first day, red or brown discharge is acceptable. They may contain small amounts of clots and mucus. If the discharge is bright scarlet or dark brown throughout all menstruation, then this signals functional changes in the body.

Why is the skin around the eyes dark

The skin around the eyes is the thinnest and most delicate. It is permeated with many capillaries through which blood flows. As a result of the rupture of a tiny vessel, blood flows out. Due to the process of freeing the body from leaked blood, dark circles appear. Hemoglobin is part of the blood; in the process of oxidation, it breaks down into smaller components and becomes purple or blue. The same process is observed after a blow, when a bruise appeared.

Causes of dark circles under the eyes

An allergic reaction can cause black circles under the eyes. When the eyes are watery and itchy, it is impossible to resist and not scratch them. Due to constant rubbing, damage to the capillaries occurs, which entails such consequences.

There is an opinion that fatigue, lack of sleep, overexertion can appropriately transform the appearance. But this lifestyle does not cause black circles, it only makes the skin pale, which further emphasizes the blackness under the eyes. But unhealthy diet, lack of vitamins and lack of rest in the aggregate can affect negatively the skin around the eyes.

Old age, which does not spare anyone, may be to blame. The skin becomes thinner and the blood vessels become more visible. And the older a person becomes, the more the process is aggravated. By identifying the cause of the appearance of black circles under the eyes, the doctor can diagnose a lack of iron in the blood. To increase the level of iron in the blood, you need to eat right, eat more fresh fruits, vegetables and natural juices.

Especially carefully it is necessary to monitor the vision, eyes and the condition of their skin for people who work a lot at the computer. Severe overexertion of the organs of vision is the cause of the appearance of circles under the eyes.

Surely every person wondered: "Why is blood red?" To get an answer, you need to consider what it consists of.

Composition

Blood is a rapidly renewing connective tissue that circulates throughout the body and carries gases and substances necessary for metabolism. It consists of a liquid part called plasma and corpuscles - blood cells. Normally, plasma makes up about 55% of the total volume, cells - about 45%.

Plasma

This pale yellow liquid has very important functions. Thanks to the plasma, the cells in suspension in it can move. It consists of 90% water, the remaining 10% are organic and inorganic components. Plasma contains trace elements, vitamins, and intermediate metabolic elements.

Cages

There are three types of shaped elements:

• leukocytes - white bodies that perform a protective function, protecting the body from internal diseases and foreign agents that penetrate from the outside;
• platelets - small colorless plates responsible for clotting;
• erythrocytes are the very cells that make the blood red.

Red blood cells give blood a red color

These cells, called red blood cells, make up the majority of the corpuscles - over 90%. Their main function is to transfer oxygen from the lungs to peripheral tissues and carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs for its further removal from the body. Red blood cells are continuously produced in the bone marrow. Their lifespan is about four months, after which they are destroyed in the spleen and liver.

The red color of erythrocytes is given by the hemoglobin protein contained in them, which is able to reversibly bind to oxygen molecules and transport them to tissues.

The color of blood is different depending on whether it flows from the heart or to the heart. The blood that comes from the lungs and then goes through the arteries to the organs is saturated with oxygen and has a bright scarlet color. The fact is that hemoglobin in the lungs binds oxygen molecules and turns into oxyhemoglobin, which has a light red color. Entering the organs, oxyhemoglobin releases O₂, converts again into hemoglobin. In peripheral tissues, it binds carbon dioxide, takes the form of carbohemoglobin and darkens. Therefore, the blood flowing through the veins from tissues to the heart and lungs is dark, with a bluish tinge.

An immature erythrocyte contains little hemoglobin, so at first it is blue, then it turns gray, and only when it matures, it becomes red.

Hemoglobin

It is a complex protein containing a pigment group. One third of the erythrocyte consists of hemoglobin, which makes the cell red.

Hemoglobin consists of a protein - globin, and a non-protein pigment - heme, which contains a ferrous ion. Each hemoglobin molecule contains four hemes, which make up 4% of the total mass of the molecule, while globin accounts for 96% of the mass. The main role in the activity of hemoglobin belongs to the iron ion. To transport oxygen, heme reversibly binds to the O₂ molecule. Ferrous oxide and gives the blood a red color.

Instead of a conclusion

The blood of humans and other vertebrates is red due to the iron-containing protein hemoglobin in it.... But there are living creatures on Earth, whose blood contains other types of protein, and therefore its color is different. In scorpions, spiders, octopuses, crayfish, it is blue, since it contains the hemocyanin protein, which includes copper, which is responsible for the shade. In marine worms, the blood protein contains ferrous iron, so it is green.

BLOOD is a special tissue of the body. Yes, it is fabric, albeit liquid. After all, what is fabric? This is a collection of cells and intercellular substance that perform specific functions in the body and are united by a common origin and structure. Let's take a look at these three characteristics of blood.

1. Functions of blood

Blood is the carrier of life. After all, it is she who, circulating through the vessels, supplies all the cells of the body with nutrients and oxygen necessary for breathing. It also takes away waste products, waste products and carbon dioxide from cells, which is formed during the conversion of nutrients into energy. And finally, the third important function of the blood is protective. Blood cells destroy pathogens that have entered the body.

2. Composition of blood

Blood makes up about 1/14 of body weight. For men it is about 5 liters, for women it is slightly less.

If you take fresh blood, put it in a test tube and let it settle, then it will be divided into 2 layers. On top there will be a layer of transparent yellowish liquid - plasma... And below there will be a sediment from blood cells - shaped elements... Plasma makes up about 60% of the blood volume (3 liters), and it itself is 90% water. The remaining 10% is a variety of substances: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, salts, hormones, enzymes, gases, vitamins, etc.

The corpuscles of blood are three types of cells: red blood cells - erythrocytes, white blood cells - leukocytes and platelets - platelets.

The most numerous of the formed elements: there are 4-5 million of them in the blood per 1 mm 3 (1 mm 3 corresponds to one drop of blood)! It is erythrocytes that determine the red color of blood, since they contain a red iron-containing pigment - hemoglobin. Erythrocytes are responsible for the transport of gases and primarily oxygen. Hemoglobin is a special protein that can capture oxygen from the lungs. At the same time, it turns light red. With the blood, oxygen is carried to all cells of the body. Having given up oxygen, hemoglobin turns from scarlet to dark red or purple. Then, taking carbon dioxide from the cells, hemoglobin delivers it to the lungs, and carbon dioxide is excreted from the lungs during exhalation.

Erythrocytes live 3-4 months. About 5 million red blood cells die every second!

They are part of the human immune system and are the body's main weapon in the fight against disease. In case of any injury or infection, they immediately rush to the site of injury, surround the pathogenic organisms and devour them. In addition, leukocytes are involved in immune (defense) reactions and produce antibodies. Antibodies are special proteins (immunoglobulins) that are produced when foreign substances (antigens) enter the body. Antibodies have the ability to bind to antigens, after which such a complex is excreted from the body. 1 mm 3 of blood contains 10 thousand leukocytes.

Platelets (platelets) are responsible for blood clotting. For example, when a blood vessel is damaged, blood begins to flow from it. To avoid blood loss - after all, it is life-threatening - the body switches on a defense mechanism - the formation of a blood clot that stops bleeding. Platelets rush to the rupture of the vessel and stick to its walls and to each other, forming a plug. In this case, platelets secrete substances that trigger the clotting mechanism: they activate the plasma protein fibrinogen, and it forms water-insoluble filaments from the fibrin protein. Fibrin threads entangle blood cells at the site of injury, and a semi-solid mass is obtained - a clot.

3. Hematopoiesis

Hematopoiesis (hematopoiesis) in mammals is carried out by hematopoietic cells located in the red bone marrow. In addition, some of the lymphocytes are formed in the lymph nodes, the thymus gland (thymus) and the spleen. Together with red bone marrow, they constitute hematopoietic system.

Although Valentine's Day made us believe in very different information, our hearts are actually boring brown. Why is the blood red? Let's find out the real reason.

The most pressing question for many

There are many organs in our body that have a wide variety of colors. For example, we have bright pink lungs, brown liver and gray brain. And by the way, red blood flows through your veins and arteries. Each of us has probably wondered more than once why the blood is red. We have the answers for you.

What is blood really?

Human blood is not just a liquid. It contains many different elements that distribute nutrients throughout the body and fill our tissues with oxygen. Basically, our blood consists of plasma, in which blood cells (shaped elements) are suspended, and any substances that are carried (in addition to oxygen) dissolve here. Plasma is the most important component of this important liquid and is very pale in color with a yellow tinge. But as soon as the shaped elements dissolve in it, it abruptly changes its color and becomes slightly unclear. The most common type of blood cells found in plasma are red blood cells, which contain a protein called hemoglobin.

What is the truth about the color of blood?

It is generally accepted that it is the iron found in hemoglobin that gives our blood this red color, but everyone who thinks so is very much mistaken. The red color is formed due to heme - a special pigment that is part of hemoglobin and contains iron ions. Oxygen, in turn, combines with iron, and it is this interaction that makes our blood red. Other constituents of blood cells do not affect its color in any way.

Light or dark?

If hemoglobin contains high levels of oxygen, then it will reflect certain lines of light waves, absorbing all others, and thus give the blood a bright red color. If it contains less oxygen, then the reflected waves will be slightly different, the blood will become slightly darker.

What about blue blood?

As for people of aristocratic origin, the so-called personalities of blue blood, they have almost the same red liquid as everyone else. But with hypoxia (dangerously low oxygen levels in the blood), the reflected light wavelengths reach a violet hue at the end of the spectrum. And through the skin, then you can see the blue veins.