Blood

Blood

Blood is the fluid which circulates through the heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries carrying food and oxygen to all the cells in the body and returning waste products to points of separation from the blood, i.e., the kidneys, lungs, and sweat glands. The composition of blood includes:

(1) Erythrocytes
(2) Thrombocytes (platelets):
(3) Leukocytes
(4) Granulocytes
(5). Agranulocyte: A type of white blood cell. Monocytes and lymphocytes are agranulocytes.
(6) Plasma
(7) Protein

The blood cells, or formed elements of the blood, are suspended in the fluid medium called plasma which normally represents fifty-five to sixty percent of blood volume. The blood test which measures the percent of cells compared to the total volume is called the hematocrit.

The clear liquid that separates from the blood when it is allowed to clot completely is called
"Serum." Serum is essentially blood plasma from which fibrinogen has been removed in the process of clotting.

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