Maryland's Health Matters - UM Shore Regional Health - (Page 13)
AT A G L A N C E
THE TRUTH
ABOUT BLOOD
BY
THE
NUMB
ER
S
It's the ultimate, overachieving multitasker, and
it's irreplaceable. (There's no making it in a lab.)
It's your blood. Every minute, this life-giving
liquid is performing a number of different jobs.
Here's what keeps it so busy.
THE DELIVERER There's a reason it's called the
circulatory system. Blood delivers oxygen to the
lungs and transports nutrients, hormones and
proteins to the places that need them.
THE PROTECTOR The platelets in your blood
ensure clotting occurs when you get a cut; the
white blood cells search and destroy invading
germs and viruses.
The number of days red blood
cells, platelets and white blood
cells live, respectively.
120 | 6 | <1
The percentage of your total body
weight that blood accounts for.
THE TRASH COLLECTOR Your blood is in charge of
rounding up waste and dumping it off at the liver
and kidneys, which then clean things up.
12/9
THE PERFECT MATCH
Where does most donated blood go? Not to trauma
patients, as you might guess. Actually, the people
who need the most blood include cancer patients
and those undergoing cardiovascular, transplant and
orthopaedic surgeries.
The average man has 12 pints of blood
in his body; the average woman has 9.
The time it takes blood to circulate to
< 60
<60
every single cell in your body. SECONDS
THE THERMOSTAT We wouldn't be warm-blooded
creatures without ... well, our blood. It helps
ensure you stay a balmy 98.6 degrees.
There are four possible blood types: A, B, AB and O.
Blood types are inherited, and the majority of
Americans are either O positive (39 percent) or
A positive (31 percent).
7-8%
4
The number of elements that make
up your blood: red blood cells, white
blood cells, plasma and platelets.
The universal donor
A
O
AB
Compatible with A and AB
B
A
A
AB
O
AB
B
B
AB
Compatible with B and AB
donor
AB
Can only be given to
other AB patients
recipient
shorehealth.org | Winter 2013
13
http://www.shorehealth.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - UM Shore Regional Health
Maryland's Health Matters - Shore/Chester River - Winter 2013
Contents
A Healthy Start
Jumping Into Action
A Lifesaving Gift
At a Glance
Introducing...
News and Events
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