Review: Introduction to Blood

Here is what we have learned from Introduction to Blood:

• Blood, which consists of cells and cell fragments suspended in an intercellular matrix, is one of the connective tissues in the body.
• Formed elements are the cellular components of the blood, and the liquid part is plasma.
• Blood is the primary transport medium that is responsible for continuously supplying nutrients and oxygen to the active cells in the body.
• The three activities of the blood are transportation, regulation, and protection.
• Erythrocytes are tiny biconcave disks, and their primary function is to transport oxygen and, to a lesser extent, carbon dioxide.
• In the tissue spaces leukocytes provide a defense against organisms that cause disease and either promote or inhibit inflammatory responses.
• Two main groups of leukocytes in the blood are granulocytes and agranulocytes; the cells that develop granules in the cytoplasm are called granulocytes, and those that do not have granules are called agranulocytes.
• Thrombocytes become sticky and clump together to form platelet plugs that close breaks and tears in blood vessels.
• The production of formed elements, or blood cells, is called hemopoiesis.