Functions of Blood

There are three main Functions of Blood

• Transportation
• Protection
• Regulation

Transport functions of Blood

• Transports oxygen from the lungs to tissues around the body
• Transports carbon dioxide from tissues around the body to the lungs
• Transports products of digestion (i.e. nutrients) from the intestine to tissues around the body.
• Soluble products of digestion include glucose, salts, some vitamins and some proteins. They are carried in solution by the blood plasma.
• Transports nitrogenous waste from the liver to the kidneys
• Transports hormones from hormone producing glands to the target organs of specific hormones. 

Regulation functions of Blood

• Blood oversees the temperature of the body and maintains it to a level that is tolerated by the body with ease.
• Blood is also responsible for controlling the concentration of Hydrogen ions in the body, which are also known as pH balance
• The administration of the levels of water and salt required by each cell of the body also falls under the regulation duties of blood.

Protective functions of Blood

• Blood clotting helps to prevent harmful microorganisms e.g. bacteria entering the body via open wounds
• Monocytes (also known as phagocytes) can engulf and digest small particles such as bacteria, protozoa, cells, cell debris, some of which might otherwise cause harm to the body. This process is called phagocytosis.
• Lymphocytes produce proteins called antibodies that attack the antigens (chemical markers) on the surfaces of potentially harmful cells e.g. of bacteria and other cells not recognized as part of the person's own body.