blood

Introduction

The circulating tissue of the body, including plasma & cellular elements (erythrocytes, leukocytes & platelets). Blood circulates through the heart, lungs, arteries, arterioles & capillaries & returns to the heart via venules & veins.

Blood functions to:

• deliver oxygen (via hemoglobin with erythrocytes) & nutrients to the tissues
• remove CO2 & other waste products from tissues for excretion
• deliver circulating leukocytes to sites of infection &/or injury

More general terms

• body fluid

More specific terms

• arterial blood
• cord blood
• dried blood spot (DBS)
• venous blood

Additional terms

• blood banking (transfusion medicine)
• blood donation
• blood products
• blood transfusion
• blood volume
• buffy coat
• complete blood count (CBC)
• erythrocyte; red blood cell (RBC)
• hematologic disease (blood disorder, blood dyscrasia)
• hemoccult
• plasma
• platelet
• white blood cell count (WBC with WBC differential)