The Anatomy of Our Blood: What it is and What it Does

Three basic parts constitute the red fluid we know as blood. They are white blood cells, red blood cells and plasma. Plasma, of which there is about one gallon in the human body, is the salty, straw-colored fluid that white and red blood cells, various nutrients, oxygen and hormones are transported in while on their way to the glands, organs and other body parts. Red blood cells are tiny: it takes 3000 placed end to end, of the approximately 24 billion in the human body, to measure an inch across. White blood cells are about 1/1000th as numerous as red cells.

White cells are in the blood to protect us against bacteria and other invaders. If the white cell count is lower than normal (4.0 to 10.5 X10-3/ul) we may experience more illnesses, colds and flu. This is not always an indicator of possible problems if the body has the ability to rapidly manufacture white cells in response to invaders. The rapid response is an indicator of a strong immune function. If we continually bombard our immune system with poor lifestyle and food choices, we're courting trouble. When the immune system is constantly on alert, even though the white cell count is in or above the normal range, our resistance to illness and disease can remain low. When white cells become to numerous, the results can be leukemia or other blood related diseases like Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Think of the body as you would a large port city. The main supplies, food and oxygen, come in to port: the mouth and lungs. After being broken down into smaller units, they're transported to various distribution centers via canals and smaller boats: the blood stream and blood cells.