PE - Blood

PE - Blood

1. The body's means of transporting substances around

   • Oxygen
   • Carbon Dioxide
   • Hormones
   • Nutrients
   • Minerals
   • Waste products

2. Red Blood Cells

   • AKA erythrocytes
   • disc shaped
   • Made in bone marrow
   • Contain haemoglobin
   • Transports oxygen to tissues
     • Vital for muscle contraction
   • More red blood cells means more oxygen carried => more energy => more muscle contractions
     • Training and living at Altitude

3. White Blood Cells

   • aka leucocytes
   • Bigger than RBC's with a large nucleus
   • Act as the body's defence system
   • Some surround and consume harmful microbes, Some produce antibodies to fight infection

4. Platelets

   • Formed in the red bone marrow
   • Produce thrombokinase which is needed for clotting
   • Help repair tissues and close wounds
   • When needed they grow into irregular shapes and stick together forming a plug over the wound

5. Plasma

   • The liquid part of the blood in which everything else floats
   • 90% water
   • inorganic salts, glucose, urea and other waste products,plasma proteins etc

6. Blood Doping

   • illegally boosting your RBC count
   • improves performance by 20%
   • Can lead to dangerous blood clots and all heart problems associated with high blood pressure
   • Blood is removed from a performer several months before the competition
     • So their body produces more
     • The RBC's are separated from the blood and stored
       • Just before the comp they are re-injected giving an artificially high RBC count