WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF BLOOD? - ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY - 2024

The main functions of the blood in the body are three: transport, protect and regulate. Blood carries substances and nutrients around the body, such as oxygen, and protects it from disease. It is basically a type of connective tissue that is in a liquid state. This substance is of vital importance for the human body.

Blood is made up of plasma and has three types of cells that float in it. Plasma is made up of 92% water; the rest consist of hormones, enzymes, antibodies, nutrients, gases, salts, and proteins. In addition to plasma, the cellular components of blood are platelets, white cells, and red cells.

Blood is pumped by the heart and circulates around the body through blood vessels. In organisms with lungs, the blood in the arteries carries inhaled oxygen to the tissues of the body.

The blood in the veins carries carbon dioxide, a metabolic waste product produced by cells, from the tissues to the lungs to be expelled.

Main functions of blood

Transport

Blood circulation. In red = oxygenated blood. In blue = deoxygenated blood. Source: user Sansculotte CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)

Blood carries the following substances:

• Gases, mainly oxygen and carbon dioxide, between the lungs and the rest of the body.
• Nutrients from the digestive tract and storage locations to the rest of the body.
• Waste products to be detoxified or removed by the liver and lungs.
• Hormones from the glands where they are produced to the cells where they should go.
• Heat to the skin to help regulate body temperature.

Blood is the main means of transportation that the body possesses. It is responsible for transporting important nutrients and materials from cells to the cells and molecules that make up the body.

It is the duty of the blood to carry the oxygen processed by the lungs to all the cells of the body. This oxygen is necessary for metabolism. Then it must collect the carbon dioxide produced from the cells and deliver it to the lungs. Once it is in the lungs, it is exhaled.

It is also tasked with collecting metabolic waste around the body to carry it to the kidneys where it can be excreted.

The blood must also carry the nutrients and glucose generated by the organs of the digestive system to other parts of the body, including the liver.

Additionally, the blood also carries hormones produced by the glands of the endocrine system.

Regular

The blood is responsible for maintaining certain levels of values ​​in the body in balance. Blood helps regulate:

• The pH, when interacting with acids and bases.
• The water balance, by transferring the water to and from the tissues.

Blood is the major regulator of many factors in the body. It is in charge of the body temperature and keeps it at a level that can be tolerated by the body.

The blood is also responsible for controlling the concentration of hydrogen ions in the body; This is called the pH balance. A constant pH value is important for the functions of the body.

The administration of the levels of water and salt required by each cell of the body also falls on the regulation tasks of the blood. Another occupation she has is controlling blood pressure and restricting it to a normal range.

To protect

Blood has several roles when it comes to protecting the body, such as:

• Leukocytes, or white cells, destroy invasive microorganisms or cancer cells.
• Antibodies and other proteins in the blood destroy pathogenic substances.
• Platelet factors start blood clotting and help minimize blood loss.

Blood plays an important role in protecting the body from the threat of infection and bacteria that cause disease.

The white cells found in the blood are responsible for safeguarding the different organs of the body; they produce antibodies and proteins that are able to fight and kill germs and viruses that can cause damage to cells in the body. White blood cells play a major role in the immune system.

Platelets present in the blood have the task of limiting blood loss in the case of injuries; help blood to clot quickly.

If a blood vessel is damaged, certain parts of the blood quickly clot together to make sure the wound stops bleeding. This is how the body protects itself from blood loss.

The components of blood and their functions

Plasma

This component is the most abundant in the blood. It has many functions, including transporting glucose. Glucose is necessary for cells, since it generates energy. Plasma also carries vitamins, cholesterol, triglycerides, fatty acids, and amino acids.

Plasma also carries cortisol and thyroxine hormones. Homeostasis and management of cell functions are also carried out by plasma.

Additionally, plasma is also responsible for blood clotting and has a role in the immune system through gamma globulins.

White cells or white blood cells

Threats of infection are handled by white blood cells. These cells are created in the bone marrow and circulate in the blood with the lymph fluid.

The entire immune system depends on these cells; they identify pathogens, cancer cells, and matter that is unknown to the body. White cells or leukocytes destroy and cleanse the body of these malignant cells.

Red cells or red blood cells

Magnified human red blood cells. Source: John Alan Elson CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Its main job is to make sure that oxygen reaches all the cells in the body, which is why they travel at high speed through the veins and arteries.

Platelets

They are the smallest entrants of the blood. When some layer of the body's cells is damaged, for example when there is a wound, the platelets react immediately.

The platelets join the fibers and begin to change their shape, closing the wound and preventing blood from leaving the body.

References

1. Blood function and composition. Virtual Medical Care. Recovered from myvmc.com.
2. Functions of blood. New Health Guide. Recovered from newhealthguide.org.
3. What does blood do? (2015). Pub Med Health. Recovered from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
4. The circulatory system. Science-BBC. (2014). Recovered from bbc.co.uk.
5. Definition of Blood. Merrian Webster Dictionary. Recovered from merrian-webster.com.