Blood is a specialized bodily fluid (technically a tissue).

It is a tissue that is circulated within the body

to assist other parts of the body.
Blood is circulated around the body through blood vessels by the pumping action of the heart. The
blood circulation was famously described by William Harvey in 1628

Cardiovascular system
1. Heart
2. Blood vessels
a. Veins which carry the blood towards the heart.
b. Arteries which carry the blood away from the heart.
c. Capillaries . interconnect the 2 blood vessels.

Composition of blood:
1. Liquid
a. Serum – plasma from which the clotting protein have been removed.
b. Plasma- the fluid portion of anticoagulated blood which is rich in fibrinogen.
About 55% of the whole blood is plasma, a fluid that is the blood’s liquid medium, which by
itself is straw-yellow in color. The blood plasma volume totals of 2.7-3.0 liters in an average
human. It is essentially an aqueous solution containing 92% water,8% blood plasma
proteins and trace amounts of other materials. Plasma circulates dissolved nutrients , such
as glucose, amino acids and fatty acids(dissolved in blood or bound to plasma proteins),
and removes waste products such as carbon dioxide, urea and lactic acid.

2. Solid
a. Red Blood Cells( RBC)or erythrocytes
The role of erythrocytes is to transport oxygen . To do this it produces great quantities of
haemoglobin, which gives it the distinct red color. Blood that has passed through the heart
and been oxygenated (in the arteries) tends to have a brighter shade of red as opposed to
blood that is returning to the heart (in veins.).There are about 30 trillion erythrocytes
circulating in the human body at any given time.

b. White Blood Cells (WBC) or leukocytes

The role of leukocytes is to defend the body against harmful bacteria and microorganisms.
There are 5 different types of leukocytes , all having different sizes, shapes, structures and
functions.Leukocytes fight infection and disease. There are about 430 billion leukocytes
circulating in the human blood at any given time.

c. Platelets or thrombocytes
Platelets are pieces of larger cells that have been broken off in the bone marrow.These bits
of cytoplasm are enclosed by a membrane and do not have a nucleus. They play a major
role in homeostasis(control of bleeding) by plugging up a breach in a vessel.

Kinds of blood
1. Arterial blood. Bright red in color because of the presence of oxygen. It carries blood away
from the heart.
2. Venous blood. Dark red in color because of the presence of carbon dioxide .It carries blood
towards the heart

Characteristics of blood:
1. Color. Bright red for arterial blood and dark red for venous blood.
2. Volume. Blood accounts for 7% of the human body weight.
 3. Viscosity. Blood is 4-5X thicker than water.
4. Specific gravity. Blood has an average density of approximately 1060 kg/m 3, very close to
pure water’s density., 1000 kg/m3
5. Reaction. The normal pH of blood is in the range of 7.35-7.45.

One microliter of blood contains:

4.7 to 6.1 million(male) , 4.2 to 5.4 million (female) erythrocytes
4,000 – 11,000 leukocytes
200,000-500,000 thrombocytes

Collection, Handling and Preservation of Blood

1. Technique for handling
a.Dry blood. On absorbent surfaces, bring in the entire area or cut out the stained area. On
non- absorbent surfaces, scrape the sample and place in a container, or if possible, submit the
entire article. If the sample is scraped off from the surface, also scrape a portion of the surface
where no blood is present and submit in separate controller for control purposes.

b.Wet blood. Do not fold the clothing because it may destroy the stain pattern.Do not pack
while the stain is still wet. Allow the stain to dry before packing.Do not expose to sunlight or
high temperature because it may destroy factors which allow blood typing.

2. Method of marking
Use adhesive tape around the test tube. Write down the name of the donor, the date taken,
the doctor’s name, the name or initials of the submitting officer and complaint number.

3. Preservation and Packing

Collect by using eye dropper or clean spoon. Use a clean test tube when possible., otherwise
transfer the blood sample to a non-porous surface (glass). Allow to dry and submit in pillbox
which can be sealed.

4. Investigative value.
Use to determine the blood group and nature of the blood ( whether human or animal ).

Importance of the study of blood

1.The examination of blood may serve as a circumstantial evidence
against or in favor of a suspect.
2.To determine the direction of the escape of the assailant.
3. To determine the cause and time of death.
4. To solve disputed parentage.
5. To determine where the blood flow originated.

Problems in the study of blood:

1. Blood undergoes a rapid change in its character with the passage of time.
2. The process of clotting and drying takes place immediately upon exposure to air.
3. Blood offers little resistance to decomposition.
To prevent these problems from occurring, blood samples should be collected as soon as
possible and sent immediately to the lboratory for examination.