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Density of Blood

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Bibliographic Entry Result
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Result
Cutnell, John & Johnson, Kenneth. Physics, Fourth Edition. Wiley, 1998: 308.
Table 11.1
Mass Densities of Common Substances
SubstanceMass Density (kg/m3)
Blood (whole, 37 ªC)1060
1060 kg/m3
Benson, Katherine. MCAT Review. Emory University. 1999. "Typical values of the density of blood plasma and blood cells are 1025 kg/m^3 and 1125 kg/m^3, respectively." 1025 kg/m3
(plasma)
1125 kg/m3
(blood cells)
"Blood." Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia. 1985: 157. "It has a characteristic odor and a specific gravity between 1.056 and 1.066" 1056–1066 kgm3
Hinghofer-Szalkay, H.G. and Greenleaf, J.E. Continuous monitoring of blood volume changes in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology. Vol. 63 (1987): 1003-7. [see graphs below] 1043–1057 kg/m3
Ageyama, Naohide, et al. Specific Gravity of Whole Blood in Cynomolgus Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys, and Tamarins. Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science. Vol. 40, Issue 3 (May 2001). "The values for the mean SGB ± 1 standard deviation are: cynomolgus monkeys, 1.0526 ± 0.0019 [males (n = 39), 1.0531 ± 0.0017; females (n = 48), 1.0522 ± 0.001]; squirrel monkeys, 1.0555 ± 0.0037 [males (n = 56), 1.0581 ± 0.0027; females (n = 76), 1.0536 ± 0.0032]; and tamarins, 1.0582 ± 0.0020 [males (n = 13), 1.0582 ± 0.0023; females (n = 17), 1.0581 ± 0.0018]." 1052.2–1058.1 kg/m3
[and see table below]

Blood is a liquid tissue composed of roughly 55% fluid plasma and 45% cells. The three main types of cells in blood are red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. 92% of blood plasma is composed of water and the other 8% is composed of proteins, metabolites and ions. The density of blood plasma is approximately 1025 kg/m3 and the density of blood cells circulating in the blood is approximately 1125 kg/m3. Blood plasma and its contents is known as whole blood. The average density of whole blood for a human is about 1060 kg/M3.

Blood density changes with body posture. Venous blood density is higher when a person is standing than when he is sitting. The following charts show the venous blood densities of 6 subjects as they change body positions during a 10 minute period.

Blood density also varies from species to species and between genders within a species. The following chart show the results of a blood densinometry study done on various species of monkeys.

Average Blood Density (kg/m3)
Cynomologus Monkeys Tamarins Squirrel Monkeys
Male 1053.1 ± 1.7 1058.2 ± 2.3 1058.1 ± 2.7
Female 1052.2 ± 1.0 1058.1 ± 1.8 1053.6 ± 3.2

Michael Shmukler -- 2004

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