Faculty Profile prashantha K EEE dept Sri Sairam college of Engineering
Senior Project Research Paper 2011-12
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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
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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,
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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).
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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/
i.do?&id=GALE%7CCX3418500322&v=2.1&u=cant48040&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w>.
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/
i.do?&id=GALE%7CCX3406500036&v=2.1&u=cant48040&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w>.
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
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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¤tPosition=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/
retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&u
serGroupName=cant48040&tabID=T003&searchId=R2&resultListType=RESULT_LIS
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T&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=1&contentSet=G
ALE%7CCX3405600246&&docId=GALE|CX3405600246&docType=GALE&role=>.
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/
i.do?&id=GALE%7CCX3058900047&v=2.1&u=cant48040&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w>.
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/
retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&u
serGroupName=cant48040&tabID=T003&searchId=R6&resultListType=RESULT_LIS
T&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=4&contentSet=G
ALE%7CCX3405601595&&docId=GALE|CX3405601595&docType=GALE&role=>.
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
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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/
retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&u
serGroupName=cant48040&tabID=T003&searchId=R4&resultListType=RESULT_LIS
T&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=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/
i.do?&id=GALE%7CCX3405600384&v=2.1&u=cant48040&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w>.
This is a good source to use in my paper because the author talks about the different
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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.