Part I - It's Alive!

College Writing I

October 27, 2005

By: Sarah Skime

It’s Alive!

The amount of five quarts of oil that courses through your car is like the amount that pumps throughout your body. If a quart were to diminish, then there would be serious trouble. Whenever losing a quart, must add! What am I? If you guessed blood then you would be correct.

An average adult has between 10 to 12 pints of blood (5-6 liters). If you lose a liter of blood then you might go into a state of shock and that is not good. Blood plays a vital role in survival, without it the body would simply not function. Some argue on the number of blood’s major functions, but for your sake there is going to be three (instead of two), which is: The transportation of oxygen, nutrients, and wastes; Secondly, the protection against disease and the defense against pathogens by blood’s production of antibodies; and the helping of “homeostasis” or the maintaining of body temperature by the blood circulating through the body.

Blood has a favorite number and it must be three, because there are also three major vessels: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Arteries carry blood AWAY from the heart; Capillaries that links arteries and veins, transporting oxygen and other nutrients from the blood to the cells (waste product such as carbon dioxide would be picked up from cells and then moved to veins); and veins carry blood to the heart. Arterial bleeding is most severe (Life-threatening), since is under more

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pressure it is more difficult for clots to form. Clots cannot form as rapidly, so is harder to control the bleeding from wound. Since high concentration of oxygen – type of bleeding has a bright red color. Venous Bleeding is easier to control than arterial and since is under less pressure – closer to skin’s surface. Severe bleeding would happen in this case if injury were in thigh. Oxygen is poor in blood, so blood is a dark red or maroon. Capillary bleeding is most common and can be a typical paper cut. Usually bleeding is slow flowing, (vessels are small) making clotting to occur very easily.

In blood you have a natural clotting mechanism, which is essentially composed of solid components found in red and white blood cells called “platelets” and this helps with stop much of capillary bleeding. In external cases, when bleeding doesn’t stop, then you have to take steps to control the bleeding artificially. You’ll have to deal with injured party until the platelets bind together that’s when the blood clots have formed or continue on with steps until further assistance arrives (EMS or 911).

Whenever dealing with blood and bodily fluids you want to take precautions and this is the first major step you must know, although probably heard many times before. Blood is very detrimental in health when it comes to the patient, you and people that surround you if you do not take protective procedures. So the transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), along with other (blood-borne pathogens) diseases’ risks can be prevented when administrating health care and first aid and the best bet is to wear gloves.