1

ü The average adult has about 4.5 to 5.5 l of blood circulating inside their body.
ü Blood makes up about 7% of your body’s weight.
ü A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in their body.
ü Half of your body’s blood cells are replaced every 7 days.
ü The kidneys filter around 150L of blood per day!
 9.4 The Blood
L.O. to be able to describe the functions of the 4 main
components of the blood

Keywords: phagocyte, phagocytosis, antibodies,

lymphocyte, haemoglobin, oxyhaemoglobin, fibrinogen,
plasma, platelet, pathogen, biconcave
 Functions of the blood
1. Transport 2. Protection
nutrients, waste, defend body against pathogens
hormones

3. Regulatory (homeostasis)
heat, water balance, pH
4. Support
blood moves into the
penis to make it erect
and out to make it soft
Components of the blood
The blood is composed of
A. plasma
B. red blood cells
C. white blood cells e.g. phagocytes and
lymphocytes
D. platelets.
 1. Plasma

Pale yellow liquid part of blood, consists of

water with dissolved chemicals in it:
- Nutrients e.g. glucose, amino acids, vitamins,
minerals
- Wastes e.g. urea, carbon dioxide
- Plasma proteins e.g. fibrinogen
- Hormones, e.g. insulin, adrenaline
 2. Red blood cells
• No nucleus - more space to carry oxygen
• Biconcave shape - larger surface area to
increase rate of diffusion
• Look red because of pigment haemoglobin
• Carry oxygen – combines with haemoglobin
(bluish red) to form oxyhaemoglobin (bright
red)
 3. White blood cells
• Two main types – phagocytes, lymphocytes
• Phagocytes ingest pathogens (microorganisms
that can cause disease) - phagocytosis
• Lymphocytes make proteins called
‘antibodies’ to attack pathogens
bacteria
 4. Platelets
• Small fragments of cells
• When you cut yourself platelets help the blood
to stick together (clot) which stops the
bleeding
• When a blood vessel is damaged, platelets
release substances to change soluble protein
fibrinogen into the insoluble fibrin, which
forms a mesh of fibres.
• The clot hardens to form a scab
 How blood clots form

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--bZUeb83uU
 Blood clotting
When you cut yourself, blood escapes through
damaged blood vessels.
1. Normally your blood clots quickly and stops
blood flow.
2. Blood clots also prevent pathogens getting
inside the body.
 How do blood clots form?
1. Platelets or damaged cells release a group of proteins.
2. These proteins cause a soluble protein in the blood called
fibrinogen to change into insoluble fibrin.
3. The fibrin forms long fibres.
4. The fibrin together with platelets and blood cells form a
blood clot.
5. The clot eventually dries to form a scab and under the skin
repairs itself.
The immune system (more in topic 10)
All cells have molecules on their membrane called
antigens. Different cells have different antigens.
Our white blood cells recognise our own antigens.
When a foreign cell enters our body, our white blood
cells don’t recognise them and go into action…..
When a pathogen enters the body white blood
cells attempt to destroy it
1. The first one to the scene are the phagocyte.
They take in and digest the pathogen. This is
called phagocytosis.

2. Lymphocytes produce antitoxins to destroy the

toxins that pathogens produce.

3. Lymphocytes also produce antibodies to

destory the pathogen
 THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

1. INGEST pathogens
(phagocyte) 2. Produce antibodies
(lymphocyte)
 Phagocytosis
1. Phagocyte surrounds pathogen.
2. Phagocyte traps and ingests pathogen.
3. Pathogen is trapped
1 2
inside a vacuole. Enzymes
released into vacuole kill
and digest pathogen.
4. Soluble substances are 3 4

absorbed into cytoplasm

Lymphocytes and antibodies

1. The first time a particular pathogen has gotten

inside your body you will only have a few
lymphocytes that produce the matching antibody.
2. It takes a few days for them to divide and make
more of themselves. During this time you may feel
ill.
3. If you get exposed to this type of pathogen again,
you will have lots of the correct lymphocyte.
4. They will be able to make a lot of antibodies very
quickly before the pathogen has the chance to
multiply and make you feel ill.
5. You are said to be immune to this illness.