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Blood

© Zany

You cut your finger and you bleed. Blood. Some people faint at the sight of it. So if you are feeling queasy, don't read on.

An excellent site to start one's investigation into blood is PBS's Red Gold, the epic story of blood . This is a very comprehensive site. Along with learning about the basics of blood (what blood is made of; how it's made; its function), the history of blood is looked at. A blood history timeline tracks scientific development in the understanding and use of blood from approximately 2500 BCE to the present. Blood practices such as bloodletting, leeches and transfusions are also discussed. There is a section on major innovators and pioneers in the field of blood. To round it all out, there are lesson plans suitable to be used in the classroom.

The PBS site has a short article on blood groups and blood typing. If you are interested in blood types and genetics, visit Blood Type Tutorial by the University of Arizona. Are you ready to try a practical application of what you have learned? Then click over to Blood Groups, Blood Typing and Blood Transfusions part of the Nobel e-museum. After you have read through the article (to become familiar with their nomenclature), put your knowledge to the test. In the blood typing game* three patients need transfusions. It is your job to determine their blood type and give them the correct blood. Good luck. They are counting on you. (Just as an aside, while you are on the Nobel e-museum site, take a look around. This is a great site. It is fun and educational. The labs are great).

After you stint in ER, are you prepared for more fun? Click over to The Pfizer Foundation Biochemistry Discovery Lab **. This interactive lab seeks to discover what molecules are found in scabs. Doing an experiment online is great, no mess, no mistakes, and the right result every time. We learn that the fibrinogen molecule in blood react with the thrombin molecule (made after a cut happens) to form fibrin which clump together and form a clot. Now click over to Cells Alive! to see a scanning electron micrograph of a blood clot. There is also a scanning electron micrograph of red blood cells. The site hosts an animation that compares the size of a red blood cell to a human hair, dust mite, pollen grain and certain bacteria and viruses. You might like to check out "Anatomy of a splinter" while your are there. See white blood cells spring into action when a scratch occurs.