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Blood

Most of us only think about our blood when we get hurt or need to get a blood test. Yet this substance truly gives us life, so it deserves more of our attention. The primary job of our blood is to deliver oxygen to the cells throughout our body, but there’s more to blood than meets the eye!

Blood Makes up About 8% of Your Body Weight

The average human adult has a little over a gallon of blood in his or her body. It’s a bit weird to think of blood in terms of gallons, but it’s interesting to think of all that blood circulating around our bodies day in and day out.

Golden Blood

Our blood may be red, but it also contains a very small amount of gold. The average human body has 0.2 milligrams of gold as well as atoms of chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, and zinc.

The Life Span of Blood Cells

Our bodies contain different blood cells, and they have varying life spans. White blood cells, which protect the body from disease, live for mere hours. Platelets are a part of the blood that stops our blood from flowing, allowing clotting and clumping. Platelets only live for a little over a week. Red blood cells are the main component of our bodies’ blood and deliver oxygen to the cells. Red blood cells live for about four months.

Blood Is Affected by the Sun

It turns out that UV rays from the sun have an effect on the body’s blood pressure. When we’re out in the sun, the UV rays increase the level of nitric oxide in our blood. This results in lower blood pressure levels, which reduces our risk of heart disease. Getting some sun can be good for your body and mind; just don’t stay out too long without sunscreen!