• Question: what colour is blood inside our body

    Asked by chantalle to Ed, Katie, Sam, Steve, Vera on 21 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by arianarose3.
    • Photo: Sam Tazzyman

      Sam Tazzyman answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      It depends on whether it is in an artery or a vein. Arteries carry blood that has oxygen stored in it, and is red, from the lungs out to the body. Veins carry blood that has had its oxygen removed, and is blue, from the body back to the lungs. The whole thing is pumped around by the heart.

    • Photo: Katie Marriott

      Katie Marriott answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      Nothing else to add!

    • Photo: Steven Daly

      Steven Daly answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      I think that blood in veins, which doesnt have any oxygen in it, is a dark red. The blue colour of veins is due to pigmentation in the vessels I think. If you have ever seen blood used in a transfusion, this is from a vein.

      Some animals have different colour blood though! A squid has clear blood, and I think some crabs have blue blood. Blue blood has copper instead of iron in it to carry oxygen.

    • Photo: Vera Weisbecker

      Vera Weisbecker answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      I think Steven is right. Vein tissue is quite different to artery tissue (which is why you only get varicose veins, not arteries), and has a different colour. And actually, the “basis” colour for blood is clearish yellow. It is the red blood cells in it that make it so red!

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