13 Answers

marz

Karma: 75

Erythrocytes - Red blood cells owe their oxygen-carrying ability to Hemoglobin, a combination of a iron-containing prosthetic group, heme, with a protein, globin. Hemoglobin attracts and forms a loose connection with free oxygen, and its presence enables blood to absorb some 60 times the amount of oxygen that the plasma by itself absorbs. Oxyhemoglobin is red, which gives oxygenated blood its red color.

Red blood cells originate in the red bone marrow of the ribs, sternum, skull, pelvic bones, vertebrae, and the ends of long bones of the limbs.

14 years ago. Rating: 3
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Lupe

What marz said.

commented 14 years ago

Headless Man

Karma: 267169

Thats the way GOD made us.

14 years ago. Rating: 2
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matheneyg

Karma: 90656

iron in it

14 years ago. Rating: 2
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josejiminez

Karma: 90

Answer number one is the best one as it is the actual hemoglobin that colors our blood. More simplistically it is the reaction to oxygen in the iron of our blood that gives this color. Bloods affinity for oxygen is weak, its affinity for CO2 is much stronger.

14 years ago. Rating: 2
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ed shank

Karma: 316611

My high school teacher told us it was blue until it hits the air. But we did catch him telling a few fairy tales in science class.

14 years ago. Rating: 1
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bustieone

Karma: 250320

It is indeed because of the iron ("hemo") of the red blood cell, that makes the blood red. When oxygenated, it does become brighter red, when deoxygenated, it is less red, not really blue, but not as bright red.