Blood and the Body

The average person has about one to one and a half gallons of a liquid inside
the body called blood. Blood is an essential part of the body's circulatory
system. The circulatory system is responsible for blood movement throughout
the body through blood vessels. The heart is the pump that makes it all happen.

Blood has several ingredients found inside the body that are mixed. Bone
marrow, located inside the body’s bones, makes most of these ingredients that
come together to produce blood. They include red blood cells, white blood cells,
and platelets. In addition, a fourth ingredient called plasma, which is mostly
water, is another essential component of blood. Each of these components has a
unique function for the body.

Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. It is the most abundant of
the different compartments inside the blood. A chemical called hemoglobin is
carried by the red blood cells, gives blood its red color, and carries oxygen to all
body parts. The hemoglobin receives the oxygen each time a person breathes.

White blood cells help the body fight infections than red blood cells. They
are not as abundant as red blood cells, exceptionally when healthy. However,
they increase when a person gets sick to fight off the illness. There are three
kinds of white blood cells.

Granulocytes help heal wounds after an injury, prevent infections, and kill

germs before entering the body. Lymphocytes include B cells and T cells. B
cells help produce antibodies that rid germs when a person is infected with
bacteria or viruses. These cells also help prevent a person from getting the same
embryo in the future. T cells also battle germs by producing special chemicals
to fight infections. Monocytes surround and destroy bacteria and viruses, which
can cause infections.
 Platelets help stop the body from bleeding if it gets cut. When a person's skin
is broken, blood vessels are also cut. The platelets send out a chemical signal for
the cut to eventually clot and stop bleeding by sticking together. The blood
vessels heal during the process of clotting. Without platelets, the bleeding
would never stop.

Plasma is a yellowish liquid that carries hormones, nutrients, and proteins

throughout the body. It is mainly made of water, but the nutrients come from the
chemicals in digested food. The substances give the body energy and other
things the body cells need to stay healthy. The hormones carried by the plasma
have the function to keep the body getting muscles and bones to grow—the
proteins in the bodywork with the platelets to help with clotting. Plasma also
carries away cell waste.

Finally, even though everybody's blood is red, it is not the same. Eight
different blood types are described using the letters A, B, and O. The letters
represent specific proteins found on the red blood cells, and not everyone has
the same proteins. A person's blood type is also positive or negative, which tells
whether the body has a particular Rh protein.

In summary, blood is essential for the body, which contains four major
components, red and white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. The blood inside
the body helps keep a person well, so it is essential to eat healthy to get the
vitamins and minerals it needs.