B3 - Functions of The Blood

Plasma is the liquid bit of bloodIt's basically blood without the blood cells. Plasma is the pale yellow liquid which carries just about everything that needs transporting around your body Red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets (which are used in blood clotting) Water Digested food and food products like glucose and amino acids from the gut to all the body cells Carbon dioxide from the body to the lungs Urea from the liver to the kidneys Hormones - these act like chemical messengers Anti bodies -  these are proteins involved in the body's immune response

Red blood cells have the job of carrying oxygenRed blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs to all the cells in the body Red blood cells are small and have a biconcave shape which gives a large surface area to volume ratio for absorbing and releasing oxygen They contain haemoglobin, which is what gives the blood its colour - it contains a lot of iron. In the lungs, oxygen mixes with haemoglobin to form oxyhaemoglobin. In the body tissues the reverse happens to release oxygen to the cells Red blood cells don't have a nucleus - this frees up space for more haemoglobin, so more oxygen can be carried Red blood cells are very flexible. This means they can easily pass through the tiny capillaries

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