Know Blood

1. Blood makes up about 7% of a human body's weight.
2. A newborn baby has approximately one cup of blood in his/her body.
3. An adult of average weight has about 10 to 12 units of blood.
4. Blood fights against infection and helps heal wounds, keeping you healthy.
5. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's organs and tissues.

Blood Facts

1. There are about one billion red blood cells in two to three drops of blood.
2. One unit of blood can be separated into several components (red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, platelets and cryoprecipitate).
3. Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are made in the body's bone marrow.
4. Red blood cells live about 120 days in the circulatory system.
5. Plasma can be frozen and used for up to one year.
6. Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red blood cells, plasma, and platelets.
7. Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins, and salts.
8. Plasma, which is 90 percent water, constitutes 55 percent of blood volume.
9. Plasma helps maintain blood pressure, carries blood cells, nutrients, enzymes, and hormones, and supplies critical proteins for blood clotting and immunity
10. Platelets help blood to clot and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.
11. Platelets are small blood cells that help control bleeding.
12. The life of Platelets is about seven days and have to be stored in agitating fridge at room temperature for prevention of clump formation.
13. White blood cells are the body's primary defense against infection.
14. There are four main blood types: A, B, AB and O.

Blood Groups

Blood type is determined by which antibodies and antigens the person's blood produces. An individual has two types of blood groups namely ABO-grouping and Rh-grouping. Rh is called as the Rhesus factor that has come to us from Rhesus monkeys.

Most humans are in the ABO blood group. The ABO group has four categories namely

1. A group 2. B group 3. O group and 4. AB group

In the Rh- group, either the individual is said to be Rh- Negative or Rh- Positive.
Thus blood group of any human being will mainly fall in any one of the following groups.

A positive or A negative
B positive or B negative
O positive or O negative
AB positive or AB negative.

Universal Donors and Recipients

The most common blood type is O, followed by type A.
Type O individuals are often called "universal donors" since their blood can be transfused into persons with any blood type. Those with type AB blood are called "universal recipients" because they can receive blood of any type.

However, since approximately twice as many people in the general population have O and A blood types, a blood bank's need for this type of blood increases exponentially.

Human blood is typed, according to the presence or absence of certain antigens the red blood cells. Blood type test may also be done to see if two people are likely to be blood relatives. The most important antigens are blood group antigens (ABO) and the Rh antigen. Therefore, the two most common blood type tests are the ABO and Rh tests.

Human blood is typed, according to the presence or absence of certain antigens the red blood cells. blood type test may also be done to see if two people are likely to be blood relatives. The most important antigens are blood group antigens (ABO) and the Rh antigen. Therefore, the two most common blood type tests are the ABO and Rh tests.

Society needs

1. Every three seconds someone needs blood.
2. One out of every 10 people entering a hospital needs blood.
3. Much of today's medical care depends on a steady supply of blood from healthy donors.
4. A heart surgery uses an average of six units of red blood cells and six units of platelets.
5. The average liver transplant patient needs 40 units of red blood cells, 30 units of platelets, bags of cryoprecipitate, and 25 units of fresh frozen plasma.
6. The average bone marrow transplant requires 120 units of platelets and about 20 units of red blood cells.
7. Severe burn victims can need 20 units of platelets during their treatment.
8. Children being treated for cancer, premature infants, and children having heart surgery need blood and Platelets from donors of all types.
9. Some anemic patients require blood transfusions to increase their iron levels.
10. People who have been in car accidents and have suffered massive blood loss may require transfusions of 50 units or more of red blood cells
11. Cancer, transplant, trauma, and open-heart surgery patients require platelet transfusions to survive.

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