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AboutKidsHealth - The Hospital for Sick Children

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Exploring the Heart - The Circulatory System! | AboutKidsHealth at The Hospital for Sick Children

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Human Blood -Lesson for Kids -by www.makemegenius.com

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Operation Ouch - Blood Vessels | Science for Kids

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Find out about the mysterious, life-sustaining fluid called blood.

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The engine in your mom's car has oil. The oil does lots of things. It keeps the engine clean and it keeps things running smoothly. Your blood is a little like engine oil, but even better. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all the cells in your body so they can grow and stay healthy. It carries waste products away from your cells so they stay clean. Blood even helps you get better when you're sick.

Blood is made in the marrow of certain bones. This marrow is soft - sort of like jelly. Blood vessels in the bone carry the new blood cells to the rest of your body.

Fun Facts about Blood for Kids

Blood is made up of four parts - plasma, red cells, white cells and platelets. Each part has a special job.

Plasma is a yellow liquid. It helps give you energy and grow.

Red blood cells carry oxygen to your cells.

White blood cells clean the blood and fight germs. When a virus enters your body, white blood cells rush to destroy the virus so you get better.

Platelets help your blood clot. When you cut yourself, a clot forms so the blood stops running. If your blood didn't clot, you could bleed to death.

Blood Vocabulary

1. Oxygen: a gas we need to live. Oxygen gives energy to our cells so we can grow and thrive

2. Waste: things our bodies can't use

3. Vessel: thin pipe surrounded by muscle that carries blood

4. Plasma: a yellow liquid that delivers nutrients to the body

5. Virus: a small organism that can make you sick

Learn More All About Blood and Human Transportation System

Check out this video all about blood and the human transportation system:

A video presentation about the main functions of blood in the human body.

Blood Q&A

Question: Are blood vessels all the same size?

Answer: Some blood vessels, called capillaries, are thinner than a hair. Major arteries are much larger. Veins are in between.

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Question: How much blood is in your body?

Answer: Between six and eight pints, depending on your age.

Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Blood info? Take the FREE & fun Blood quiz and download FREE Blood worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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The engine in your mom's car has oil. The oil does lots of things. It keeps the engine clean and it keeps things running smoothly. Your blood is a little like engine oil, but even better. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all the cells in your body so they can grow and stay healthy.

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Why is blood red? Because it's mostly made up of red blood cells. These cells get their color from hemoglobin, a bright red protein that contains iron and is very good at collecting and transporting oxygen. When blood is exposed to air, like when you get a cut or scrape, the hemoglobin absorbs lots of oxygen, making it turn a deep red.

Red blood cells are one of three types of blood cells that all float inside a liquid called plasma, which is mostly water. They look like disks with little indentations in the middle, sort of like Smarties candies or hole-less bagels. But they're very flexible and can change shape when they need to - which helps them slip into tight places such as tiny capillaries, where oxygen levels are low and carbon dioxide levels are high.

The hemoglobin in red blood cells picks up oxygen when your blood travels through your lungs, and it releases the oxygen to cells as blood circulates through your body. Hemoglobin then absorbs the carbon dioxide from your capillaries and carries it away.

Along with red blood cells, which make up about 40 to 45 percent of your blood, there are white blood cells, also known as leukocytes, that help keep you healthy. Different types of white blood cells destroy parasites, kill bacteria that cause infections, and generally keep your body's immune system working properly.

The third type of blood cells are platelets - or thrombocytes - which aid in clotting when you get a cut or other injury. Platelets clump up around a wound to help control bleeding, and they also send a chemical message that helps in the formation of fibrin, a substance that creates a scab so the wound can start to heal.

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What's in Blood? A Look at Types of Blood Cells - Kids Discover

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Why is blood red? Because it's mostly made up of red blood cells. These cells get their color from hemoglobin, a bright red protein that contains iron and is very good at collecting and transporting oxygen. When blood is exposed to air, like when you get a cut or scrape, the hemoglobin absorbs lots of oxygen, making it turn a deep red.

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The blood cells have a red color due to a chemical called hemoglobin (hee-ma-glow-bin). This is a chemical that contains iron which is a requirement for our bodies and carries the oxygen from our lungs to circulate throughout the body.