Chapter 23.13-23.

17 Circulation
1. What makes up Blood? 2. Red Blood Cells 3. White Blood Cells 4. Blood Clots are life-savers 5. Stem Cells & Blood

What makes up Blood?

Blood is made up of blood cells in a substance named plasma
Platelets (bits of cytoplasm found in big cells from bone marrow) are also found in blood.

There are two types of blood cells:

Red Blood cells White Blood cells

Red Blood Cells

Purpose: transport oxygen to the rest of an animal/humans body.
It is estimated that there are 25 TRILLION red blood cells in a single person, making these cells the most in persons bloodstream.

We can also refer to them as erythrocytes.

White Blood Cells

Purpose: to defend the body from germs/illness are also known as leukocytes There are five kinds of White Blood cells:
1. Basophils fight infections by releasing chemicals called histamines 2. Neutrophils stick to blood vessel walls &block germs that enter through wounds 3. Monocytes eliminate foreign particles & help stop the reproduction of germs 4. Eosinocytes kill parasitic worms & reduce allergies 5. Lymphocytes produce anti-bodies & attack infected cells & cancer cells

Blood Clots are life-savers

We dont bleed to death because of sealants called fibrinogens.
1. The lining of a blood vessel is damaged & exposed. Platelets around affected area cluster. 2. This cluster of sticky platelets forms a plug or clot with fibrinogens. 3. If there is severed damage, a fibrin clot is formed. This results from a mixture of a damaged cells & platelets that create a chain reaction & form fibrin, which traps the blood cells from spilling out.

Stem Cells & Blood

Stem cells are unspecialized cells that can form into blood cells They reproduce after an embryo is formed & create a lifetimes worth of blood cells. Scientist take these cells & grow them to treat diseases, such as leukemia, a cancer that causes deficiency in white blood cells.