0
It is not the blood but the veins that "look" blue, and even then it is not the actual color of the vessel. The difference is in the way colored light moves through the tissues, and how the eye perceives those colors of light.
The oxidation state of the iron in the hemoglobin determines it's color; when the blood is oxygenated, the iron's oxidation state changes, changing the color of the blood from dark red to light red. It is never blue.
The changes in blood coloration relate to the respiratory pigment, hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a topologically complex molecule that very readily binds to oxygen. Once the molecule is fully saturated, it reflects in the crimson red spectrum, and therefore fully oxygenated blood appears to be bright red.
After the hemoglobin molecule gives up its oxygen to tissue that needs it, the molecule becomes much less reflective, and thus deoxygenated blood appears very dark red to purple. But blue is used in charts and diagrams to contrast against red, red being the arterial system bearing O2 and blue being the "deoxygenated" blood in the venous system.
Human blood is always red. It can have different hues of red, but it is still red.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThere is no blue human blood. It is all red. The arteries have bright red blood and the veins have a darker red color of blood mostly due to the impurities that are carried along with the blood cells to eliminate them from the body. The idea that blood in veins is blue comes from how they look under your skin, but that is a light reflection illusion caused by looking at the veins through the skin. All blood is red. Another cause of the misconception is the tradition of which colors are used in illustrations of human anatomy. Many illustrations used in schools traditionally show arterial blood red and venous blood blue to show the difference in the direction of blood flow and positions of the vessels. But those could as easily be green and yellow or any other two colors that also differentiate the arteries from the veins.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What is the color of the human heart?
It is mostly red. With some areas of fat that are a yellowish-white color.Color is brownish redred
Why is the pulmonary artery depicted blue?
It carries deoxygenated blood which is depicted blue to differentiate it from oxygenated blood which is a brighter red.
Why a blood have 2 colors?
blood is originally blue but when its exposed to oxygen it turns red
Why are the squids hearts white and human hearts are red?
they have white hearts and we have read because our blood is red and their blood is white.
Why is blood leaving the heart bright red?
The blood turns red once it has come into contact with oxygen. This is why your veins appear blue, purple, etc, but when you cut yourself the blood is red. Not sure about details, but oxygen changed the color.
Is it true that all of the blood in your body is blue?
No. But the 'used' blood on its way back to the lungs is dull red, and looks blue through the veins.
Why is the human body not blue?
because the human blood is red.
Is Blood is bright blue when it returns to the heart?
Not in a human, no. Oxygenated blood is bright red. Deoxygenated blood is a dark red.
Are there only red white and blue blood cells in a persons body?
Yes, except for the blue. It's a human, not the flag.
Does blood contain red blood cells and blue blood cells?
In relation to the human body, it is a common misconception that blood is blue; all blood is red. The blue appearance is due to the connective tissues of the blood vessels. Blood cells can be either erythrocytes, which are red, or leukocytes, which are white. When blood is oxygenated it is a much brighter red than de-oxygenated blood.
What colors are human blood?
First it's blue then later it turns red.
What is the color of the human beings blood?
Deoxygenated Blood is Blue but when it oxygenates with the oxygen in the air it becomes Red
Why do we represent blood using the colors red and blue?
Blood is actually the color red, so blood is represented by the color red because it is red. It is sometimes represented by blue to represent deoxygenated blood, which is actually dark red as opposed to the bright red of oxgyenated blood. This is purely for visual purposes so those learning about the circulatory system can see clearly where there is oxygenated blood and where there is deoxygenated blood. The myth that human blood is blue is not true, but the blood of a horseshoe crab is actually the color blue.
When does human blood turn blue?
Human blood never turns blue.
What colour is blood inside a human body?
Frequently the answer is "blood is blue inside us and red when it hits the air". Blood carries oxygen in our body so this really doesn't make sense. Blood is red with arterial blood being brighter and venous blood being darker. Our blood vessels have a bluish appearance through our skin but just as water going through PVC piping isn't white, blood isn't blue.
What gives oxygenated blood its blue color?
No deoxygenated blood is dark red and oxygenated blood is lightish red.
What color is the human blue before the air hits it?
It is red. Blood is never blue but only appears to be because of the layers of skin and other tissues above it. If blood was blue and only turned red when it touched the air, then it would be blue in a syringe, that being a vacuum sealed environment where no air is present. Blood is not blue.
