Function of Blood

 

Blood is a specialized body fluid. It has four main components: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Blood has various functions that are central to survival. They include:

• supplying oxygen to cells and tissues; transporting oxygen and nutrients to the lungs and tissues
• Carrying cells and antibodies that fight infection
• Providing essential nutrients to cells, such as amino acids, fatty acids, and glucose
• Removing waste materials, such as carbon dioxide, urea, and lactic acid means blood bringing waste products to the kidneys and liver, which filter and clean the blood
• protecting the body from diseases, infections, and foreign bodies through the action of white blood cells
• Forming blood clots to prevent excess blood loss
  
• regulating body temperature

The platelets in blood enable the clotting, or coagulation, of blood. When bleeding occurs, the platelets group together to create a clot. The clot forms a scab, which stops the bleeding and helps protect the wound from infection.

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Blood has three main functions: transport, protection and regulation.

Transport

Blood transports the following substances:

• Gases, namely oxygen (O₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), between the lungs and rest of the body
• Nutrients from the digestive tract and storage sites to the rest of the body
• Waste products to be detoxified or removed by the liver and kidneys
• Hormones from the glands in which they are produced to their target cells
• Heat to the skin so as to help regulate body temperature

 

Protection

Blood has several roles in inflammation:

• Leukocytes, or white blood cells, destroy invading microorganisms and cancer cells
• Antibodies and other proteins destroy pathogenic substances
• Platelet factors initiate blood clotting and help minimise blood loss

Regulation

Blood helps regulate:

• pH by interacting with acids and bases
• Water balance by transferring water to and from tissues

 

 

 

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luid Connective Tissue

Blood is a fluid connective tissue composed of 55% plasma and 45% formed elements including WBCs, RBCs, and platelets. Since these living cells are suspended in plasma, blood is known as a fluid connective tissue and not just fluid.

Provides oxygen to the cells

Blood absorbs oxygen from the lungs and transports it to different cells of the body. The waste carbon dioxide moves from the blood to the lungs and is exhaled.

Transports Hormones and Nutrients

The digested nutrients such as glucose, vitamins, minerals, and proteins are absorbed into the blood through the capillaries in the villi lining the small intestine.

The hormones secreted by the endocrine glands are also transported by the blood to different organs and tissues.

Homeostasis

Blood helps to maintain the internal body temperature by absorbing or releasing heat.

Blood Clotting at Site of Injury

The platelets help in the clotting of blood at the site of injury. Platelets along with the fibrin form clot at the wound site

Transport of waste to the Kidney and Liver

Blood enters the kidney where it is filtered to remove nitrogenous waste out of the blood plasma. The toxins from the blood are also removed by the liver.

Protection of the body against pathogens

The White Blood Cells fight against infections. They multiply rapidly during infections.

 

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Functions of Blood

The role of the blood, in broad terms, is to keep the internal environment stable. The ability to adjust to changing life conditions—the endurance of broad fluctuations in climate and air pressure; the ability to change the amount of physical activity—is made possible by the blood circulating within the veins; tolerance to dietary and fluid changes; resistance to physical harm, chemical toxins, and infectious pathogens. 

The structure of blood is highly complicated, and numerous components contribute to its operational functions. Sensors that detect changes in temperature, pH, oxygen tension, and blood component concentrations are among the regulatory systems the blood is engaged in. In some instances, the effects of these stimuli are mediated by the neurological system or by the hormone release (chemical mediators). 

The paragraphs that follow highlight some of the critical functions of the blood.

Blood’s primary functions include:

• 1. Fluid Connective Tissue: Blood is a fluid plasma connective tissue of 55% plasma and 45% formed components such as WBCs, RBCs, and platelets. Because these live cells are floating in plasma, blood is a fluid connective tissue rather than merely fluid.
• 2. It gives oxygen to the cells: The blood collects oxygen from the lungs and delivers it to various cells throughout the body. Waste carbon dioxide travels from the bloodstream to the lungs and is expelled.
• 3. Transports Nutrients and Hormones: Glucose, vitamins, minerals, and proteins are taken into the bloodstream via the capillaries in the villi lining the intestinal tract. Hormones released by the endocrine glands are also delivered to other organs by the blood and tissues.
• 4. Homeostasis: Blood keeps the internal body temperature stable by absorbing and releasing heat.
• 5. Clotting of the Blood at the Site of Injury: Platelets aid in blood clotting factors at the site of damage. Platelets and fibrin combine to create a clot at the wound site.
• 6. Waste transport to the Kidney and Liver: Blood flows into the kidney, where it is filtered to eliminate nitrogenous waste from the blood plasma. The liver also removes poisons from the blood.
• 7. Body defence against infections: Infections are combated by types of white blood cells during an infection, they tend to multiply fast.

 

 

 

 

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https://www.visiblebody.com/learn/circulatory/circulatory-functions-of-the-blood 

 https://www.britannica.com/science/blood-biochemistry/Platelets-thrombocytes#ref35404 

 https://www.blood.co.uk/news-and-campaigns/the-donor/latest-stories/functions-of-blood-transport-around-the-body/

 

 

 

 

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