Of all the curiosities of the human body, it seems that blood is the most enigmatic; It is not an organ, but neither are it simple cells. The worst part is that if we lose more than 40% of the blood present in our body, it would be an irremediable path to death. Although much is known about the curious facts about blood, Few investigations have dared to determine how many liters of blood the human body has. Sure, it’s understandable. How do you calculate the amount of blood in the body? It really is complex; nevertheless, At nothing escapes us and here we have the answer. Join us!
How many liters of blood does a human body have?
First thing’s first, Do you know what blood is made of? You see, it is a liquid substance composed of 55% plasma, 43% red blood cells and to a lesser extent platelets and white blood cells (regardless of the amount of blood you have in your body). Basically, its function is to transport oxygen and nutrients to the cells and remove carbon dioxide and other waste from them.. We all know the importance of blood for life, but the point is this: Do you know how many liters of blood the human body has?How much can we donate? Or, what diseases are related to it?
1. Amount of blood in the body
To answer the question about how many liters of blood the human body has, we must first emphasize one thing: The amount of blood varies depending on the weight, height, age and sex of each person. So, for sure, you are not going to have the same percentage of blood in your body as your brother, your dad or your best friend has.
However, some research that has dared to find out how many liters of blood the human body has, have established that the average blood count is 4.5 to 6.5 liters of blood per personwhich represents 7.7% of body weight.
It all comes down to a mathematical operation because it is a proportion that does not usually vary, so if you want to know the amount of blood you have in your body, regardless of other factors, You will only have to divide your weight (in kilos) by 13 and we will have the result in liters. For example, a child weighing 26 kilos will have 2 liters of blood (26/13=2); An adult weighing 80 kilos will have 6.15 liters of blood (80/13=6.15).
Although it seems simple, in reality the calculation was much more complex; However, this has been the arduous work of numerous scientists who have wanted to determine the percentage of blood in the body.
Now, in addition to knowing how many liters of blood the human body has, it is also interesting to know how much blood a human being needs to survive, don’t you think? Well, in short, A healthy adult can tolerate losing up to 15% of their total blood supply without any serious symptoms.. You can even survive with only 40% blood, but for this the help of immediate registration and treatment is essential. That is why it is so important that Blood Banks always have reserves. Donating blood causes very little discomfort and great benefits, and almost anyone can do it!
2. Donate blood, a benefit for your body
You surely know that blood, unlike other types of systems and elements that make up the human body, is not replaceable. If you did not know it, One of the curious facts about the body is that blood does not have an artificial version, that is, it is not manufactured, it can only be donated; hence the importance of the donor. If you have not yet donated blood and you are worried about how many liters of blood can leave the human body, it will be enough for us to mention that you run no risk and, on the other hand, you do receive many benefits.
You see, when blood leaves your body, it expels quantities of components that are stored in this fluid and that are related to cholesterol, triglycerides, and in general, it naturally eliminates substances that are not good for your body. body. Likewise, the amount of blood that can be removed from the body is related to the weight and height of the person; nevertheless, a common quantity is 450 cubic centimeters.
Another benefit of donating a set amount of blood from the body has to do with increasing lung capacity; because? lOxygenation levels increase considerably in the tissues. So don’t worry about how many liters of blood the human body has, the truth is that it can withstand three annual donations for men and two for women. It’s time to donate! 😉
We assure you that one of the best phrases in life that you will receive will be: «With your blood we saved three lives. Thank you!»
3. Blood diseases
Blood, like all organs in our body, can suffer from diseases. Among these the most notable are the following:
- Leukemia: It is a cancer of the blood cells. Most blood cells are formed in the bone marrow. In the case of leukemia, immature blood cells become cancerous. Leukemia can be acute or chronic.
- Anemia: It is a blood disease characterized by having few healthy red blood cells in the body. Anemia can be caused by poor diet, slow blood loss, surgeries where part of the intestines are removed, or side effects of a medication.
- Hemophilia: It is a genetic type disease that is characterized by problems with blood clotting. It is inherited from parents to children, although it has been determined that it is women who transmit the gene to their descendants and it is men who are more exposed to suffering from it. The main characteristic of this disease is bleeding that is difficult to control.
Anyway, we hope you have resolved your question about how many liters of blood the human body has; a fluid so precious that you can donate to save others, don’t forget it. And if you want to continue learning curiosities about blood, we invite you to discover the rarest blood type in humans.