Oxygen delivery
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This reference extract addresses Blood, a related subject. It does not cover every part of Oxygen delivery.. The article introduction is reproduced here, so you do not need to leave MedAtlas to read it. It may not match the latest official medical guidance.
Blood is a specialized form of connective tissue and body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells of the body, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells.
Blood is composed of blood cells suspended in plasma. Plasma, which constitutes 55% of blood fluid, is mostly water (92% by volume), and contains proteins, glucose, mineral ions, and hormones. The blood cells are mainly red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and (in mammals) platelets (thrombocytes). The most abundant cells are red blood cells. These contain hemoglobin, which facilitates oxygen transport by reversibly binding to it, increasing its solubility. Jawed vertebrates have an adaptive immune system, based largely on white blood cells. White blood cells help to resist infections and parasites. Platelets are important in the clotting of blood.
Blood is circulated around the body through blood vessels by the pumping action of the heart. In animals with lungs, arterial blood carries oxygen from inhaled air to the tissues of the body, and venous blood carries carbon dioxide, a waste product of metabolism produced by cells, from the tissues to the lungs to be exhaled. Blood is bright red when its hemoglobin is oxygenated and dark red when it is deoxygenated.
Medical terms related to blood often begin with hemo-, hemato-, haemo- or haemato- from the Greek word αἷμα (haima) for "blood". In terms of anatomy and histology, blood is considered a specialized form of connective tissue, given its composition of cells and cell fragments suspended in plasma.
How this connects to Anaesthesiology and Critical Care
The digestive and hepatobiliary systems coordinate motility, secretion, absorption, metabolic processing and transport through anatomically distinct compartments. Functional, inflammatory, obstructive, infectious and neoplastic mechanisms can produce overlapping symptoms; accurate localization and context are needed for interpretation.
Text credit: Wikipedia contributors, “Blood”, original article · authors & revision history · CC BY-SA 4.0. Unmodified opening extract, accessed 24 September 2026. This Wikipedia-derived section is provided under CC BY-SA 4.0; the independent MedAtlas notes and design are separate works.
Oxygen delivery · visual study map
Scalable vector illustration. Labeled conceptual map, not a precise anatomical, histological or diagnostic image.The wording in this learning map is adapted from the attributed Wikipedia background section below (CC BY-SA 4.0).
What the underlying subject studies
Anaesthesiology and critical care connect airway anatomy, ventilation, perfusion, consciousness, pain and organ support. Small changes in physiology may have important effects during illness and procedures.
How mechanisms and evidence connect
Clinical monitoring provides partial measurements, each with limitations. Mechanical, pharmacological and hemodynamic effects interact and must be interpreted in the whole-patient context.
How to develop a sound explanation
For study, trace the normal physiologic variable, possible disturbance, available monitoring and broad safety principles. This website does not supply procedural steps or device settings for clinical use.
References and verification (optional)
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