Blood tissue is a specialized connective tissue.
The notion of fabric can be used in different contexts. For botany, anatomy and zoology, a tissue is a group of cells that, acting in a coordinated manner, have a common purpose. Sanguine , for its part, is what is linked to blood (the reddish liquid that, through veins, arteries and capillaries, circulates through the body).
The concept of blood tissue refers to that which is composed of a liquid matrix and different types of cells . Generally, blood tissue is classified as specialized connective tissue , which is the name for those tissues that allow the integration of different organic systems and that facilitate their support. For some experts, however, blood tissue is one of the primary tissues .
Phases of blood tissue
In blood tissue, a liquid phase ( blood plasma ) and a solid phase (composed of platelets , white blood cells and red blood cells ) can be differentiated. Both phases are called blood components : the liquid phase is the serum component , while the solid phase is the cellular component .
Blood vessels contain blood tissue and allow it to be distributed throughout the body. Among the various functions it performs are the transfer of oxygen, the provision of nutrients and the transport of cells and various substances.
The circulatory system is responsible for the circulation of blood tissue throughout the body. The organ that drives circulatory activity is the heart , which pumps blood through veins, arteries and capillaries.
Red blood cells are part of the solid phase of blood tissue.
white blood cells
White blood cells are also called leukocytes and are one of the cellular actors of our immune system . These are cells capable of migrating, which use blood to access various regions of the body. Among the main functions of white blood cells are the destruction of pathogenic microorganisms and the cells they infect, and the secretion of substances such as antibodies , which are responsible for fighting infections.
According to their normal count, white blood cells are found in the blood at a maximum of 11,500 per cubic millimeter, but this value can be as low as 4,500 , and this difference is influenced by various factors that are grouped into physiological conditions (stress, pregnancy, age, physical activity, etc.) and pathological conditions (cancer, infections, immunosuppression, etc.).
Red blood cells, another component of the solid phase of blood tissue
Also known as erythrocytes or red blood cells, red blood cells represent practically 96% of the so-called formed or figured elements (the aforementioned red and white blood cells and platelets). It is interesting to note that the amount present in men and women is considerably different: 5,400,000 and 4,800,000 per cubic millimeter, respectively. Furthermore, as can be seen, it is much greater than that of white blood cells.
Red blood cells have no organelles or nuclei, and much of their cytoplasm is made up of certain enzymes and a protein called hemoglobin , which is responsible for transporting oxygen. Carbon dioxide is also transported in the blood tissue, in three forms: bicarbonate, which serves to regulate the pH (its normal value in the arteries is usually between 7.36 and 7.44 ); carbodynamic compounds, by 27% ; free dissolved, 8% . On the other hand, there are glycoproteins , located in the plasma membrane, thanks to which it is possible to define blood groups .
An important blood protein is hemoglobin , which is found only in red blood cells. This is the pigment responsible for the characteristic red color, and it also collaborates in the transport of carbon dioxide. Their normal levels do not exceed 18 g/dl of blood tissue and they live for approximately four months, before being eliminated and extracted.