Blood

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Cardiovascular

Topic Anchor: Blood
- Function
  - Transports oxygen, nutrients, waste products, and hormones throughout the body
- Composition
  - Plasma
    - Liquid portion of blood
    - 90% water
    - 10% proteins and other compounds
      - Albumins, immunoglobulins, fibrinogen, clothing factors, hormones, electrolytes, nutrients, gases
  - Cellular components
    - All cellular components of blood arise from the bone marrow
    - Leukocytes (white blood cells, WBCs)
      - Function: Immunity (will cover in-depth in immunology section)
    - Erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBCs)
      - Hematocrit is percentage of RBCs in blood by volume
      - Function: transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide
      - Characteristics
        no nuclei
        Do not undergo mitosis
        No organelles (mitochondria)
        Contain hemoglobin (will cover in-depth in hemoglobin video)
        Used to bind and transport oxygen
    - Platelets
      - Function
        blood clotting (will cover in clotting video)
      - Characteristics
        Non-nucleated cell fragments
        Derived from megakaryocytes