Cells in a fluid
Blood: plasma and red blood corpuscles.
Look at a drop of blood
Blood is red and flows. Under a microscope it is made of a fluid and cells.
What do you think the fluid part does?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Blood is a fluid connective tissue of cells suspended in plasma; plasma carries food, carbon dioxide and nitrogenous wastes in dissolved form, while red blood corpuscles carry oxygen.
Look at a drop of blood
Blood is red and flows. Under a microscope it is made of a fluid and cells.
What do you think the fluid part does?
- Carries dissolved things around the body
- Digests food
- Makes sound
Open the blood
Open each tab.
Plasma and cells
Blood is a fluid connective tissue: cells float in a fluid medium called plasma. The plasma carries food, carbon dioxide and nitrogenous wastes in dissolved form. The red blood corpuscles carry oxygen. Blood also carries other substances, such as salts.
Blood is a fluid connective tissue of cells suspended in plasma; plasma carries food, carbon dioxide and nitrogenous wastes in dissolved form, while red blood corpuscles carry oxygen.
Notes
Blood is a fluid connective tissue of cells in plasma; plasma carries food, CO₂ and nitrogenous wastes dissolved; red blood corpuscles carry oxygen.
Check yourself
What kind of tissue is blood?
What carries oxygen in blood?
Which of these does plasma carry in dissolved form?
Blood cells are suspended in a fluid medium called ...
- A fluid connective tissue — correct. Yes!
- A muscular tissue. Blood is described as a fluid connective tissue; muscular tissue is made of cells that contract.
- A solid tissue. Blood consists of a fluid medium, plasma, in which the cells are suspended.
- Plasma. Plasma transports food, carbon dioxide and nitrogenous wastes in dissolved form.
- Red blood corpuscles — correct. Yes!
- Platelets. Platelets plug leaks at points of injury by helping the blood to clot.
- Oxygen. Oxygen is carried by the red blood corpuscles.
- Haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the pigment present in the red blood corpuscles.
- Nitrogenous wastes — correct. Yes!
- plasma — correct. Yes!
- lymph. Lymph is a colourless, low-protein tissue fluid formed from plasma, proteins and blood cells that escape through capillary pores.
- mucus. Mucus lines the stomach and the air passage; it is not the fluid medium of blood.