Blood
Oh no! You fell and scraped your knee and now it’s bleeding. OUCH!
Have you ever stopped to wonder what blood is? Sure, you know it’s red and you see it when you get a cut or a scrape, but do you know how it’s made or where it comes from?
Blood has a special recipe and particular ingredients, and your body makes a lot of it. The average person has between one and one-and-a-half gallons of blood. Think of your body as a unique kitchen where blood is made. First, you need the ingredients: plasma, white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Sounds like a pretty crazy list. So where does your body get all of those things? It makes them!
Let’s talk a little about each one: Plasma is a yellowish fluid that takes proteins, nutrients and hormones around your body. White blood cells help your body fight infections. Red blood cells carry precious oxygen throughout your body. And last, but not least, platelets help your body to stop bleeding when you get a cut.
Different areas of your body make different ingredients. You have something inside your bones called bone marrow. It’s soft and mushy and it makes red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Plasma is mainly water, which your body absorbs through your intestines. This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to drink water; your body/kitchen needs it! Your liver also lends a hand with providing proteins for the plasma.
When your body puts all these ingredients together – you have blood! Blood is one of the most important parts of the circulatory system. Your blood is moved around your body by your heart – a powerful muscle. Each time your heart beats, your blood is carried throughout your body. Your blood travels through blood vessels and it goes throughout your body from your head to your toes.
