Blood Donation Facts

  • Blood fights against infection and helps heal wounds, keeping you healthy.
  • Blood makes up about 7% of your body's weight.
  • A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his or her body.
  • White blood cells are the body's primary defense against infection.
  • Granulocytes, a type of white blood cell, roll along blood vessel walls to search and destroy bacteria.
  • Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's organs and tissue.
  • There are about one billion red blood cells in two to three drops of blood.
  • Red blood cells live about 120 days in the circulatory system.
  • Platelets help blood to clot and give those with leukemia and other cancers a chance to live.
  • Apheresis is a special kind of blood donation that allows a donor to give specific blood components, such as platelets.
  • If all blood donors gave 2 to 4 times a year, it would help prevent all blood shortages.
  • The fear of Blood is called Hemophobia or Hematophobia. Common symptoms of this fear are nausea, fear of dying, sweating, dry mouth, etc. It only takes a realization to overcome it.

Blood Facts in General
  • There is no substitute for human Blood
  • Blood makes up about 7% of your body's weight.
  • An average adult has about 14 to 18 pints of Blood.
  • One standard unit or pint of Blood equals about two cups.
  • Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all of the body.
  • Blood carries carbon dioxide and other waste products back to the lungs, kidneys and liver for disposal.
  • Blood fights against infection and helps heal wounds.
  • One unit of donated whole Blood is separated into components before use (red Blood cells, white Blood cells, plasma, platelets, etc.)
  • There are four main Blood types: A, B, AB and O.
  • Each Blood type is either Rh positive or negative.
  • There are about one billion red Blood cells in a few drops of whole Blood.
  • Red Blood cells live about 120 days in our bodies.
  • Red Blood cells can be stored under normal conditions for up to 42 days.
  • Frozen red Blood cells can be stored for ten years, and more.
  • Platelets must be used within five days.
  • Platelets are small Blood cells that assist in the process of Blood clotting helping those with leukemia and other cancers, controlling bleeding.
  • Plasma, the fourth major component of Blood, is a sticky, pale yellow fluid mixture of water, protein and salts. It is 95% water. The other 5% is made up of nutrients, proteins and hormones.
  • Blood Plasma constitutes 55% of the volume of human Blood.
  • Plasma helps maintain Blood pressure, carries Blood cells, nutrients, enzymes and hormones, and supplies critical proteins for Blood clotting and immunity.
  • Type AB plasma has been considered as the universal Blood plasma type, and therefore AB plasma is given to patients with any Blood type.
  • Frozen Plasma can be stored for up to one year.
  • Human Blood; red Blood cells, white Blood cells, plasma and platelets are made naturally by the body in the bone marrow.