Have you ever considered how much blood is coursing through your veins? How many pints of blood do you have and how much does all of this blood weigh?
The average human body that weighs between 150 and 180 has between 1.2 and 1.5 gallons of blood. That is equivalent to roughly 10 to 12 pints of blood.
The precise breakdown of blood in the body works out to be about 7% of the body weight. If you weigh more than 180 or less than 150 the amount of blood in your body will be altered.
How Much Does A Pint of Blood Weigh?
Blood and distilled water have similar densities and they weigh approximately the same thing.
Water has a weight of 8.336 pounds per gallon. There are 8 pints of blood in each gallon of water.
Therefore, a pint of blood weighs about one pound.
Your Blood Volume
Your blood volume is the amount of blood that you have in your system. There are certain factors that play a part in determining how much blood you have in your system.
Blood by Gender
We all say that men and women are created equal, but when it comes to physical attributes, and how much blood we have, men and women are not equal.
The average woman has about 9 pints of blood in her system. The average man has about 12 pints of blood. The average man has about 3 additional pints than the average woman.
This is partially due to the fact that the average woman is smaller and weighs less than the average man.
Blood Volume by Age
There are also differences in the amount of blood a person has according to their age.
When first born an infant has a blood volume of 75 to 80 milliliters of blood per kg of body weight.
When the infant grows into a child the amount of blood they have per kg of body weight will reduce. A child has an average of 70 to 75 milliliters of blood per kg of body weight.
What is in blood?
Blood is a liquid that is comprised of different components that each do a different job.
Red Blood Cells
Red blood cells in the liquid have the task of delivering oxygen and distributing carbon dioxide throughout the body.
Red blood cells are red because of the hemoglobin in them. Hemoglobin is made up of a lot of iron. Iron-rich foods will help your body rebuild red blood cells after an injury or blood donation.
Your red blood cells have a life of about 120 days. Your body has to remake and resupply the blood with these cells to keep the oxygen in your blood at a constant level.
White Blood Cells
White blood cells work to fight off disease and infection. They are the warriors of the blood.
Your white blood cells are your primary defense against infection in the body.
Blood Platelets
Blood platelets are what stick together to stop profuse bleeding. They are protectors who help you not lose too much blood.
Plasma
Plasma is the liquid that transports the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets through the body. Plasma also helps the body to stop bleeding by helping the blood to thicken or clot.
Plasma is actually made up of 90% water. When you have lost blood through a wound or donation drinking plenty of water helps your body to recover and rebuild its supply of plasma.
55% of your blood volume is plasma.
When separated from the rest of the blood the plasma is pale yellow in color.
How Much Blood is In A Vial of Blood?
When you are testing for medical diseases or health check-ups the doctor orders blood to be drawn. The blood is drawn out of your body and placed into vials for the purpose of the tests.
Those vials range in size from 3 ccs to 10 ccs. That means that the blood in the vial will weigh between 0.1 and 0.338 ounces.
How Much Blood is Given in A Blood Transfusion?
Your body has roughly 10 pints of blood in it. If you are in a medical emergency and require a blood transfusion you will receive about three pints of blood.
A unit of blood in medical terms is about one pint, and during a blood transfusion, the average person will receive 3 units of blood.
FAQ’s
What Is The Weight of 1 Unit of Blood?
A unit of blood is approximately one pint of blood.
How Many Ounces Are In A Pint of Blood?
There are 16 ounces in a fluid pint.
What Weighs More Water or Blood?
Studies show that the density of human blood and distilled water are almost identical. That means that blood and water both weigh about the same amount.
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