Platelets help by clotting the blood whenever bleeding occurs because of a cut or bruise.Only the red blood cells in our blood carry oxygen.The spleen is responsible for purifying blood.The biggest use of donated blood in Australia is for cancer and blood diseases.The pigment that makes your plasma yellow is called bilirubin.Plasma can be made into 18 different life-giving treatments.There are eight main blood types: A positive, A negative, B positive, B negative, AB positive, AB negative, O positive and O negative.In Australia, one blood donation is needed every 24 seconds.O negative blood is considered a ‘universal’ blood type, because it can be given to anyone.
A mismatch of these molecules between donor and recipient can trigger a fatal immune reaction after a blood transfusion, as the recipient’s body attacks the outsider blood.
There are about five litres of blood in the human body.In Australia, you can donate blood four months after getting a tattoo, but you can donate plasma straight away (as long as your tattoo was done on licensed or regulated premises in Australia).East Indians, Australian Aborigines, and Polynesians are Diego negative. Blood types were discovered by Karl Landsteiner in 1901. Also significant is the fact that we rarely take blood types into consideration.You can drop them into conversations to impress your mates, use them at your next trivia night or just find out a bit more about why your blood is so powerful. Brush up on these fantastically fun blood facts.