blood

[susie605]

why is arterial blood bright red and venous blood dark red

[WoWo]

The blood is made up of many things one of which is red blood cells, these transport the oxygen from the lungs to the cells in the body, when they are full of oxygen they are bright red but when the oxygen is removed the go back to a dull darker colour.

Arteries take the blood away from the heart/lungs and are therefore full of oxygen and the veins take it back to be re pumped and passed back past the lungs.

[theo_wyvern]

i understood that blood only turns red when it hits the air !

[CT]

Don't think that's quite true. When they take a blood sample it's red isn't it.

[spacechimp]

There is some air inside the syringe though. Maybe they always take it from a vein for some reason.

[mycatis]

I take it that was a joke? about blood only turning red when it hits the air? please say it was!!

[peanut]

I do believe blood is red no matter if its in or out of your body. unless youre a smurf then it might be blue.

[stevie21]

or royalty

[smudge]

Well I've just spent two days in Harefield Heart Hospital. I had 6 tubes in my groins (3 in each). I can assure you the colour of the blood ousing from the venous & arterial veins/arteries onto the sheets was red.

[WoWo]

Blood exposed to Oxygen will be come red (or redder), be that in the body via the lungs or when it hits the air. If you look at veins close to the surface of the skin they appear blue rather than read because the arteries with oxygen rich red blood is protected further inside the body.