Chapter 23, Problem 1BYB

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The role of blood in human body

Introduction:

Blood are connective tissues and is present throughout the body. It is a fluid that flows in the blood vessels. It helps in transport of essential substances, regulates body temperature, and defends against foreign substances.

Explanation of Solution

The blood is the main fluid connective tissue that is comprised of plasma, red blood cells and the white blood cells. All the components of the blood have major function in maintenance of overall body function. There are three main functions of the blood; they are transportation of the substances, protection against foreign substance and homeostatic regulation.

1. Transportation: Blood is a fluid that travels throughout the body. During the flow, the blood transports oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and various other chemicals from one place to another. The plasma and the red blood cells are main components of the blood that are involved in the transport system. It collects the metabolic wastes from various sources, which are filtered in the kidney for the removal.

2. Defence: Blood contains various substances that are involved in the detection and destruction of the foreign bodies. The main component of this defence system is white blood cells.

3. Homeostatic regulation: The blood plays an important role in the maintenance of various homeostatic mechanisms. The blood is directly involved in the regulation of the body temperature by the process of vasodilatation and vasoconstriction. The vasodilatation of the blood vessels increases the area of heat exchange from body to skin or environment. The vasoconstriction acts in the opposite manner, and so it decreases the area of heat exchange resulting in increased body temperature. The presence of various ions and bicarbonate helps in the regulation of the body pH. Also, the blood transports different hormones involved in homeostatic regulation.

Conclusion

The three main functions of the blood include transportation of the substances, protection against foreign substance and homeostatic regulation.