What is blood? Blood is the fluid that keeps our bodies going.
 | It is a transport system that carries oxygen and the essential chemicals to where they are needed in the body. At the same time it picks up the waste that the different parts of the body no longer need and delivers that waste to whichever part of the body is responsible for getting rid of it. |
| It helps us fight infections and keep our body healthy.
It carries heat around our bodies, to keep our fingers warm and stop our brains from overheating.
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 | Our immune system does not damage cells in our own bodies because it recognises that they are ours. If cells from someone else's body are placed in our body, our immune system recognises that they are not ours, and destroys them. |
| For most body cells there are lots of different markers (antigens - say ant-i-jens) that tell our immune system that something does not belong in our body, but for red blood cells there are only a few main antigens (A, B and Rh) on their surface. |
| There are only four main types of blood, |
|  | A (with A antigen on the surface of the red blood cells, but not B) |
| | B (with B antigen, but not A) |
| | AB (with both A and B) |
| | O (no A or B) |
| Some years ago, after studying Rhesus monkeys (because their blood is very similar to ours) scientists discovered some people had another antibody on their red blood cells while others did not. They called this the Rhesus factor and so now we know that people may have the same blood group, eg A, but some of them will be A Rh+, because they have the Rhesus factor, while others will be A Rh-, meaning they do not have the Rhesus factor. |
because it recognises that they are ours. If cells from someone else's body are placed in our body, our immune system recognises that they are not ours, and destroys them. |
| For most body cells there are lots of different markers (antigens - say ant-i-jens) that tell our immune system that something does not belong in our body, but for red blood cells there are only a few main antigens (A, B and Rh) on their surface. |
| There are only four main types of blood, |
| | A (with A antigen on the surface of the red blood cells, but not B) |
| | B (with B antigen, but not A) |
| | AB (with both A and B) |
| | O (no A or B) |
| Some years ago, after studying Rhesus monkeys (because their blood is very similar to ours) scientists discovered some people had another antibody on their red blood cells while others did not. They called this the Rhesus factor and so now we know that people may have the same blood group, eg A, but some of them will be A Rh+, because they have the Rhesus factor, while others will be A Rh-, meaning they do not have the Rhesus factor. Sometimes people need extra blood because they have lost more than the body can make in a short time or they are not making enough red blood cells (this is called anaemia).
Doctors can give blood from one person to another in what is called a transfusion.
The blood that someone is given is 'matched' so that it won’t be destroyed by their immune system.
 | Type A blood can go to anyone who has type A or AB. |
| Type B blood can go to anyone with B or AB. |
| AB blood can only go to a person with AB blood. |
| O can be given to anyone, so someone with that blood is called a 'Universal donor.' |
| But |
 | A person with type A can only take blood from someone with type A or O. |
| Type B can only take blood from someone who is B or O. |
| AB can receive blood from anyone. This is known as being a 'universal receiver.' |
| Type O can only receive blood from someone who is type O. |
 Nowadays a lot of people give blood regularly to give to other people who need it because they have been injured, have an operation or are sick. Sometimes people who are going to have a big operation will have blood taken several weeks before the operation, so that they can get their own blood back if they need a transfusion. All blood donated is carefully examined to see that there are no diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV in it which could infect the person who will get it.
Blood
Blood is red
It runs through your head
Blood is important, if you don't have it
You're sure to die in one hit.
If you donate it would be great.
Better to help one another than hate.
Brittany | | |
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