Welcome to Lesson 17 of the Human Biology Masterclass.
In Lesson 16, we studied the heart and circulatory system. Now we turn our attention to the fluid moving through that network: blood.
Blood is far more than a transport medium. It carries oxygen and nutrients, removes metabolic waste, transports hormones, contributes to temperature regulation, supports immune defence, and prevents excessive blood loss after injury.
In this lesson, you'll learn:
• The four major components of blood: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets
• What plasma contains and how it differs from serum
• How red blood cells are structurally adapted for oxygen transport
• The structure and function of haemoglobin
• How erythropoietin regulates red blood cell production
• The approximately 120-day lifecycle of a red blood cell
• How haem is broken down and iron is recycled
• The major types of white blood cells and their roles in immunity
• How the differential white blood cell count can provide useful clinical information
• The three overlapping stages of haemostasis
• How platelets form a temporary plug after vascular injury
• How the coagulation cascade produces a stable fibrin clot
• What happens when clotting is impaired or occurs inappropriately
• The ABO blood group system and red-cell antigens
• The Rh(D) blood group system
• Why incompatible blood transfusions can cause dangerous haemolytic reactions
• Why correctly matched blood is essential for safe transfusion
• Why the Rh system is particularly important during pregnancy
Blood connects transport, defence, and repair into one integrated physiological system.
Section 4 – Transport and Defense
Lesson 16: The Heart & Circulatory System
Lesson 17: Blood – Cells, Plasma & Clotting
What's Next?
In Lesson 18, we move from the components of blood to the immune system itself.
We'll explore B cells and T cells, antibodies, immunological memory, and how vaccines use the adaptive immune system to provide protection against disease.
Continue the complete Human Biology Masterclass through the playlist on Human Science Academy.
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