Blood is a uniquely mysterious substance that is far from being as well studied as we think. The mass of blood does not exceed 8% of the total weight of a person, but its importance for our life is incomparably higher. Blood is a living complex system that lives by its own laws. It produces itself. A blood cell (erythrocyte) lives for 120 days, and every minute more than 2 million new ones appear.
Surprising and incomprehensible to scientists is the fact that the composition of blood is very similar to that of sea water.
The blood within us has many functions. It carries oxygen and nutrients. She lets us know if painful changes occur in the body, fights diseases. If the main function of the blood - to carry oxygen - is disturbed, we immediately feel unpleasant consequences for ourselves in the form of a deterioration in well-being. Erythrocytes "stick together" among themselves, the blood thickens and hardly passes through the vessels.
Scientists argue and conduct research, but they all agree that blood can tell everything about its "owner" and that its properties are unique.
What interesting have scientists learned about blood in recent years? What is the work being done?
Blood types
It was previously believed that there are four blood types in the world. Now there are six of them.
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Two new unknown blood transport proteins ABCB6 and ABCG2 have been discovered by scientists at the University of Vermont. They proved that the antigens named Langers and Junior have a unique genetic basis inherent only to them. The International Society of Blood Transfusion divides twenty-eight additional blood groups (in addition to the four main ones). But neither Landjerys nor Junior were included in this list, since their uniqueness has not been confirmed. The discovery made it possible to understand why, in some cases, during transplantation or blood transfusion, biomaterials that were considered to be compatible are not accepted by the body and are rejected.
Artificial blood
Transfusion of donated blood is often used in the treatment of humans and animals. Blood from a healthy body can have a truly magical effect on the patient. Muscle tissue begins to repair itself. Sometimes it is only with the help of a blood transfusion that a patient can be saved.
However, replacement of blood can lead to a worsening of the condition, up to the death of the patient. It is very difficult to select blood so that it is not perceived as "alien". Therefore, scientists have long been struggling with the task of creating artificial blood that is neutral in relation to the patient's blood.
They learned to make artificial blood even in powder form! A similar miracle was created by researchers at the University of Washington. They invented artificial red blood cells. Scientists themselves believe that real blood cannot completely replace its artificial counterpart. No analog made by human hands will be able to perform all the functions of real blood.
The Soviet scientist Felix Fedorovich Beloyartsev worked on the development of another unique drug, perfluorane, in the late 70s. Unfortunately, his invention, called "blue blood" remained not fully studied and tested, the scientist died tragically. Perftoran was created to carry oxygen, i.e. perform one of the most important functions of the blood. At the same time, the drug remained neutral in relation to the patient's blood. If donated blood always comes into more or less "contradiction" with the patient's blood, then Beloyartsev's drug was suitable for people with any blood group. The fact that blood fights foreign is not a disadvantage of our body, because this is how the body is able to overcome the external enemy - disease.
Correct blood
The most common method of medical examination is blood tests. Its various characteristics give doctors a picture of the patient's condition. Deciphering a blood test is a delicate matter, and requires a highly qualified doctor, since there are many nuances. If the blood test shows any deviations from the norm, then a second analysis is done. The doctor compares the indicators and tries to understand what caused the deviations from the norm.
However, what is the norm is still unknown. Blood counts are similar in 95% of people, but the remaining percentage, despite the fact that the indicators are significantly outside the norm, health is in perfect order.
Also, it is believed that food affects the composition of the blood, and can both cause diseases and get rid of them. Healthy eating ideas are still popular.
However, food can have very different effects on different people. There are even lists of foods that are good or bad for different blood types. It turns out that what is poison for one person can become medicine for another.
Blood treatment
The benefits of blood therapy have long been known. Doctors of different eras have successfully used animal and human blood for treatment. And modern pharmacies sell a drug made from dry blood of cattle - a well-known hematogen. Recently, stem cells have been successfully used to treat humans and animals. They are obtained from the patient's own blood. Stem cells are used in the treatment of more than 100 serious diseases. Sometimes this is the only possible way to heal or alleviate a condition for chronic diseases or injuries.
We can only guess what discoveries lie ahead of us. Even the most daring science fiction writers can hardly imagine how many secrets blood keeps in itself.