Senior Project Research Paper 2011-12

Fleming 1

Shelby Fleming

Tillery

British Literature

12 October 2011

Blood is a component needed in the body to live. It is something that has been in

lives for centuries. Blood is used in many different ways today, such as blood donations,

transfusions, and research. The history of blood is very important in knowing where it

came from and how it has been used in the past. Blood drives are used around the country

today because of the constant need for blood. Blood is an important thing for basic living,

so it is important to know everything about blood.

The history of blood is important to understand when learning about blood. Blood

is a fluid that puts together families. It has been said that blood is “thicker than

water”(Lawrence 328). Blood is one of the most important things in ancient medical

history. Many say that blood began to be confronted in the seventeenth century

(Lawrence 328). Blood has been around for many years, it is one of the most important

things in medical history.

So what is blood? Blood is a fluid inside the body, which transports oxygen and

nutrients to the cells and takes out carbon dioxide and other wastes. Blood pumps out of

the heart and goes to all parts of the body and then goes back to the heart to do it all over

again (Encyclopedia Britannica 1). Blood is both a tissue and a fluid. It is a tissue

because of groups of cells being put together and blood is a fluid because the cells are in

Fleming 2

a liquid matrix (Encyclopedia Britannica 1). Blood is a need in the body, with out blood

flow a person would die within minutes.

Blood is made up of so many different parts and is needed throughout the whole

body. Blood is made up of many parts including; hemoglobin, red blood cells, white

blood cells, platelets, and plasma. Understanding the different parts of blood is very

important. Hemoglobin is a component of blood that is a unique iron containing protein.

It brightens the color of the blood depending on if it is oxygenated or not (Encyclopedia

Britannica 2). Red blood cells are forty-five percent of the volume of the blood. White

blood cells and platelets are the remaining cells and are less than one percent of the cells.

The fluid portion is made by plasma. Plasma is clear, sticky fluid that helps the blood

transport in the body (Encyclopedia Britannica 2).

Blood typing is a process that happens when you donate blood. To better

comprehend how people get blood types, it is essential to tell what antigen and antibody

are. An antigen is a protein that when it is put into a human that does not have the antigen

will cause an antibody to be made. Antibodies are immune system proteins that help kill

off bacteria (Conneally 82). The antigens that are found on someone’s red blood cells tell

you what blood type they have. Many blood types are found by using the person’s blood

and a commercial serum. A technician in the lab figures out what blood type a person has

by the way their blood clumps or does not clump (Nordenson 531).

Many different blood types are found through this process. The different blood

types are A, B, AB, and O. A person’s blood type is based on the presence or absence of

A and B antigens in the blood cells (Nordenson 532). The A blood type has only a A

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antigen and the B blood type only has a B antigen. The blood type AB has both A and B

antigens and the O blood type has neither antigens (Nordenson 532).

Blood supply is something that is needed in America daily. Blood supply refers to

blood banks and hospitals that are needed everyday in the healthcare community. Blood

supply consists of donated blood in units, which is measured in pints, that are used

everyday to replace blood lost during surgery or traumatic injuries (Blaser 580). Blood

supplies are needed in the United States. Blood supplies come from various blood banks

around the country (Blaser 580).

Donating blood is a crucial thing for people to do every couple of months. The

American Red Cross, Life South, and blood banks at local hospitals collect Blood units.

Blood Donations are always needed because of the constant demand at hospitals and

because of the short shelf life of blood (Blaser 580). Blood is taken when a needle is put

into a vein so that the blood can flow into a bag that is specially designed to prevent the

blood from clotting. The average human has six quarts of blood in their body so the loss

of one pint will not affect them very much. Healthy adults can donate blood every six to

eight weeks (Blaser 580).

The purpose of giving blood is to make sure that there is enough blood supply for

accident victims, peoples who have had surgery, or people with certain diseases needing

blood. People can donate their own blood if they are getting an elective surgery that can

be put in their body when they are getting surgery. This process is called autologous

blood donation (Gregutt 524). All of the blood that is donated has to be collected, tested,

Fleming 4

prepared, stored, and delivered to the right places. More than seven million people donate

blood each year in the United States (Gregutt 524).

Blood transfusions happen every day in the United States. Each year more than

four million Americans receive blood transfusions. These blood transfusions include

more than twenty- six million units of blood or thirty-two thousand units per a day

(Gregutt 524). The purpose of a blood transfusion is to improve clotting time and restore

lost blood. Some people who get a blood transfusion get whole blood, but many people

only need a transfusion of platelets or white blood cells. Whole blood is mainly used

when a person has lost a large amount of blood (Lohr 3366). Red blood cells are the most

transfused component of blood; this is because red blood cells are the only cells in blood

that transport oxygen (Lohr 3366).

Blood transfusions can be deadly if not preformed right. Many precautions have

to be taken in blood transfusions. The most important precaution that has to be taken is

making sure that the blood the recipient is getting matches their correct blood type. If the

person were to get the wrong blood type it could be fatal (Lohr 3366). They have to take

your vital signs before you can even get a blood transfusion (Fallon 1551). The arm of the

patient is cleaned by a soap solution and then an iodine solution. The blood, from a blood

transfusion, is then given right into the patient’s veins and they are watched very closely

when it starts for signs of harmful reaction (Lohr 3369). If no reactions have happened

the patient is then monitored on a period basis. After the transfusion process is over a

bandage is placed on the arm over the needle site to prevent bleeding (Lohr 3369).

Fleming 5

Many people who often need blood transfusions are people who have a blood

disorder. Most of the time these blood disorders are missing the component of blood that

aids the blood in the clotting process. There are many blood disorders classified in this

group. The most known disease in this group is hemophilia (Norris 829). Treatment for

hemophilia is the use of drugs or blood transfusions. This can be a very serious illness

and should be handled with a physician. Some these disorders can be prevented but some

are hereditary (Norris 829).

The act of giving blood is an essential to save lives. Right now, in the United

States, there is a shortage of blood. Giving blood is such a simple process and more

people should be interested in it. When someone gives blood it usually takes about an

hour to get through the whole process. Then it takes about twenty-four hours for the

donor to fully recover after giving blood (Gregutt 525). Donors must be seventeen years

old and in good health. A questionnaire is given to people before they are allowed to give

blood to make sure they do not have any diseases. Giving blood saves lives (Gregutt

526).

Blood is very important for basic life. It is used in many ways today; it can be

something that keeps someone alive. History was a huge part in the discovery of blood.

People donate blood so that hospital workers can administer the blood to sick patients

who need it. It is used everyday to keep people alive from traumatic accidents and

diseases. Blood is an important component in life.

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Works Cited

“Autologous Banking.” World of Microbiology and Immunology. Ed. Brenda Wilmoth Lerner

and K. Lee Lerner. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 38-39. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Web. 24 Sept. 2011. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/

i.do?&id=GALE%7CCX3409800050&v=2.1&u=cant48040&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w>.

This source is a good source for my paper because it explains what they do with the

blood after you donate it. It explains where they store it and what other things they can

get blood cells from for blood transfusions. It is important to understand these processes.

Blaser, Larry. “Blood Supply.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda

Wilmoth Lerner. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Web. 24 Sept. 2011. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/


This source is a great source for my paper because the author talks about blood supply.

He explains how the blood supply is very important and that donating blood is a

important fact of life. He talks about what happens when they take the blood and the kind

of people it goes too.

Conneally, P. Michael. “Blood Type.” Genetics. Ed. Richard Robinson. Vol. 1. New York:

Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. 82-86. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 Sept.

2011. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/


This is a good source to use in my paper because the author goes into depth about the

different blood types. He also talks about the process that they have to go through to find

the different blood types. It is a great source because I can explain how blood types affect

Fleming 7

people.

Encyclopædia Britannica, prod. “blood.” Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. <http://www.school.eb.com/eb/

article-9106084>. This source is a good source to use for my paper because it has specific

details about blood. The source talks about what blood is made of and how it is

transported through the body. It explains how blood is broken down into different parts in

the body and how different organs in the body break down materials into the blood.

Fallon, Fleming L. “Vital Signs.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery. Ed. Anthony J. Senagore.

Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 1551-1554. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 16 Sept.

2011. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/

retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&u

serGroupName=cant48040&tabID=T003&searchId=R12&resultListType=RESULT_LIS

T&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=1&contentSet=G

ALE%7CCX3406200484&&docId=GALE|CX3406200484&docType=GALE&role=>.

This source is a good source to use for my paper because the Author is talking about vital

signs. In a blood drive, they check your vital signs to make sure that you are able to give

blood. It is important that they check your vitals to make sure that you are healthy enough

to give blood.

Gregutt, Peter. “Blood Donation and Registry.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed.

Deirdre S. Blanchfield and Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Gale, 2002. Web. 14 Sept. 2011.

<http://go.galegroup.com/ps/



Fleming 8



This source is a good source for my paper because the author explains the blood donation

process. He also explains the purpose of donating blood. He explains the precautions for

giving blood. He also explains the preperation,aftercare, and risks of giving blood. He

explains the abnormal and normal results of a blood donation.

Lawrence, Christopher. “Biomedicine and Health: Blood.” Scientific Thought: In Context. Ed. K.

Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 328-334. Gale

Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/


This source is good for my paper because the author explains the history of what blood is

and how people looked at it in the past. He also explains how the modern society views

blood and how it is used today. He explains why AIDS people need blood transplants and

how that affects the way they live.

Lohr, John T. “Transfusion.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe and

Deirdre S. Blanchfield. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 2002. 3366-3369. Gale Virtual

Reference Library. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/





The author of this source explains, in depth, the process of blood transfusions. He

explains the descriptions between whole blood and the different types of blood

Fleming 9

components. He goes on to advance about the precautions for the donor and the recipient.

He gives specific details about how many people give blood a year. He talks about the a

blood donors health and what diseases they have could affect if they can give blood. He

talks about the different types of transfusions and blood processing. This source is perfect

to explain the significance of a blood drive.

Nordenson, Nancy J. “Blood Typing and Crossmatching.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine.

Ed. Deirdre S. Blanchfield and Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2002.

531-534. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. <http://go.galegroup.com/

ps/



T&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=12&contentSet=

GALE%7CCX3405600249&&docId=GALE|CX3405600249&docType=GALE&role=>.

The author explains the act of blood transfusions. The author also explains what blood

types there are and how they have to match up for a person to give blood. They explain

how blood is used to help people with certain diseases. They also explain what a blood

bank is and how the blood banks cross match the blood to match a persons blood type. It

explains the process and what to expect in a blood transfusion.

Norris, Teresa. “Coagulation Disorders.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Ed. Deirdre S.

Blanchfield and Jacqueline L. Longe. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2002. 826-830. Gale

Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/


This is a good source to use in my paper because the author talks about the different

Fleming 10

diseases in which a person might need blood. The author is explaining how blood clots

and the missing components a person can be missing from blood. The author explains

that these people might end up getting blood transfusions if they cannot clot blood.

Senior Project Research Paper 2011-12

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