Blood
By: Robin Reynolds
DEFINITIONS
Serology
the scientific study or diagnostic examination of blood serum, especially with regard to the response of the immune system to pathogens or introduced substances.
Plasma
the colorless fluid part of blood, lymph, or milk, in which corpuscles or fat globules are suspended.
Antibodies
a blood protein produced in response to and counteracting a specific antigen. Antibodies combine chemically with substances that the body recognizes as alien, such as bacteria, viruses, and foreign substances in the blood.
Antigens
a toxin or other foreign substance that induces an immune response in the body, especially the production of antibodies.
Erythrocytes
a red blood cell that (in humans) is typically a biconcave disc without a nucleus. Erythrocytes contain the pigment hemoglobin, which imparts the red color to blood, and transport oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the tissues.
ABO
The ABO blood group system is the most important blood type system (or bloodgroup system) in human blood transfusion. Found on platelets, epithelium, and cells other than erythrocytes, AB antigens (as with other serotypes) can also cause an adverse immune response to organ transplantation.
Rh
an antigen occurring on the red blood cells of many humans (around 85 percent) and some other primates. It is particularly important as a cause of hemolytic disease of the newborn and of incompatibility in blood transfusions.
Leukocytes
a colorless cell that circulates in the blood and body fluids and is involved in counteracting foreign substances and disease; a white (blood) cell. There are several types, all amoeboid cells with a nucleus, including lymphocytes, granulocytes, monocytes, and macrophages.
Platelets
tiny blood cells that help your body form clots to stop bleeding. If one of your blood vessels gets damaged, it sends out signals that are picked up by platelets. The platelets then rush to the site of damage and form a plug, or clot, to repair the damage.
Hemoglobin
the protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs.
Blood Factors
an inherited protein found on the surface of red blood cells. If your blood has the protein, you're Rh positive. If your blood lacks the protein, you're Rh negative.
Serum
an amber-colored, protein-rich liquid that separates out when blood coagulates.
How is blood useful in forensics?
It can help identify who the suspect could be, be able to give you an exact result with what type of blood you are looking for and narrow down the culprit. It has the ability to link a suspect to a location.
Why is it important?
The question should be why isn't it important. This not only makes it so that you can identify who did it but it could also help you find out if the victim was poisoned, what they were poisoned with, how and many more things that I can't even begin to explain.
Famous Case
The famous case I chose was the Christopher Vaughn case where his wife and three kids were murdered by him on their way to the water park. He had made it seem like he had been attacked by his wife after she hadn't asked him to pull over to the side of the road. Then after that shot his kids two time each. After doing that he shot himself to make it seem reasonable. The forensic ballistic and blood spatter experts had come to this conclusion after examining the blood splatter patterns and researching all his past activity
Fun Facts
- There are 150 Billion red blood cells in one ounce of blood.
- There are 2.4 Trillion red blood cells in one pint of blood.
- The human body manufactures 17 million red blood cells per second. If stress precipitates a need the body can produce up to 7 times that amount. (That’s up to 119 million red blood cells per second.)
- Cows have 800 (and possibly more) blood types.
- The most common blood type in the United States is O Positive (39% of the population), while the least common blood type is AB negative with only (0.5% of the population).
- All blood isn’t red. Crabs have blue blood. Earthworms and leeches have green blood. Many invertebrates, such as starfish, have clear or yellowish blood.