Biology

Blood: is a special kind of tissue in which many cells are floating in a fluid.
Red blood cell:
The red blood cells are extremely numerous, and it function is to carry out oxygen and carbon
dioxide. They don’t have a nucleus and it has a shape of a disc to have a larger surface area so it
can take up more oxygen. Is filled with haemoglobin, which carries oxygen and gives the red
pigment to the cell.

The red blood cell reaches the lungs and combines with oxygen, forming de oxyhaemogloin. When
it reaches the tissue it releases the oxygen and is turned back into haemoglobin again.
Haemoglobin contains iron, and this helps in the way oxygen is carried. The movement of oxygen
in and out of the cell is made by diffusion.

As the red blood cell pass through the tissue it picks the carbon dioxide. Most of the carbon
dioxide, combines with water, as the red cell has an enzyme which causes this. The combination
forms carbonic acid, that splits in two parts; one in the plasma (70%) and the other in the cell
(30%).

Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that combines 300 times readily with hemoglobin than oxygen
does. Oxygen can’t be carried to the tissues and this can be fatal. It can be founded in the coal gas
and in the cigarettes smoking.

The red blood lives for 4 months, and are produced in the bone narrow, the smooth muscles in the
centre of certain muscles. In the high altitudes the production increases.

Anemia: when a person lacks of red blood cells or haemoglobin, because of shortage of iron or
losing too much blood.

White blood cell:

The white blood cells are less numerous (1 in 700 red cells), they do not have haemoglobin, have
a nucleus and are the ones that kill germs and protect us from diseases. They are produced in the
bone narrow. There are two types:

Phagocytes: when they get in contact with a germ, engulfs it and take It into its body, killing it and
then digested. They patrol the bloodstream and tissues waiting gems to arrive. They attack the
germs and the place where this occurs get red, swallow and painful, called inflammation area.
Phagocyte and dead bacteria combine to form pus. Sometimes the inflammation area swells up
into boil, pressure build and eventually bursts.

Lymph cells: they are the ones that detect the viruses in the bloodstream in our organism. When
lymph cells detect a virus, it produces a chemical substance them kill them.
 Germs contain a substance called antigen that stimulate lymph cells to produce antibodies. The
antigens combine with the antibodies and they killgerms. One antibodies are the antitoxins; which
combines with poisons to make the harmless. When the number of white blood cells increase and
start killing red blood cells is called leukemia.

Plasma: is the fluid where the cells float around. It is made mainly of water, salts, food
substances, excretory substances, hormones and plasma proteins. There 3 proteins;

Albumin: it makes blood viscous and thick

Globulin: Lymph cells produce them to kill germs. It is useful for blood clotting and it constitutes
the antibodies

Fibrinogen: this protein is useful for blood clotting. If this protein is taken from the blood, allowing
it to clot we take a colorless fluid, serum.

In the plasma there are some small bodies that float called the platelets. They are made by bone
narrow cells, and they help in blood clotting.

Functions of the blood:

Transport: carbon dioxide, oxygen, digested substances, excretory substances, hormones
and antibodies.
Defend: from diseases and losing fluid in the clotting of blood
Regulate: regulate the amount of water, regulate chemical substances and keep body
temperature.
Blood clotting: When we cut the blood hardens. The hardening of the blood is the blood
clotting. When the tissue is broken the protein fibrinogen it is turn into a meshwork of
muscle fibers. To this to occur first the substance thrombin has to be formed. There are
any substances needed for thrombin formation. We get many when be born and some
from eating food, for example vitamin k and calcium. When people doesn’t have the
necessary substances for the blood clotting they may have hemophilia in which blood
takes longer to clot. When we cut, blood will clot in the moment, but if the blood clots
while it flows through the blood vessels this will be fatal. However, blood vessels contain
anticoagulants that stops clotting.

Circulation:
The heart is the main organ of the circulatory system, which is situated in the chest between the
lungs. The heart contains muscles in the wall that never gets tired to pump blood around the body.
The blood flows around the body in blood vessels, which lead back to the heart. The ones that
carry blood out from the heart are the arteries, and the ones that bring back blood to the heart
are the veins. The arteries and the veins are connected by capillaries.

There are two circulations: one that serves the lungs and other that serves to the rest of the
bodies. The heart is divided in two halves; left and right. The right pumps blood to the lungs where
it takes oxygen. The oxygenated blood is taken back to the left side of the heart and then is
pumped to the rest of the body. The oxygen is taken by various organs. Then the deoxygenated
blood is taken again to the right side of the heart and the system is repeated. Each side consists of
two chamber. The atrium and the ventricle. Both have muscles in their walls, but the one of the
ventricle are thicker and more muscular. Its main function is to pump blood round the body. The
heart contracts 70 times per minute. Each contraction is followed by a relaxation. When the heart
contracts, the blood is pumped out of the heart into the arteries, and when it relaxes its sucked
into the heart from veins. Blood flows in one direction, possible by valves that prevent blood
flowing backwards. The heart pumps by electricity pulses sent by the peacemaker. The heart
muscles need oxygen and is possible by a system of coronary arteries.

Blood vessels
Arteries: they have a narrow cavity with elastic walls containing smooth muscle. The walls press
back against blood as it flows through them. This helps blood flowing quickly.

Capillaries: they are wide enough to allow red blood cells to pass across in single file. Their walls
are very thin, consisting of a single layer of flattened cells. This enables oxygen and other
substances to diffuse.
Veins: when blood reaches the vein the pressure pushing it along is reduced, and it starts moving
against gravity. This makes difficult for blood to get back the heart. However, veins are thinner

than arteries, that allows blood moving easily. Also contains valves to prevent blood slipping back.