What’s in a Drop of Blood?
Blood has three (3) different kinds of cells:
Red Blood Cells​ – Carry the oxygen we breathe in through our lungs to every part of our body.
White Blood Cells​ – Help us to fight infections, like the virus we are all staying home because of!
Platelets​ – Help cuts to stop bleeding, and make scabs to heal them.
All of these float in a liquid called ​plasma​.
Blood cells are so tiny we need a powerful microscope to see them, or we can look at a picture like
this one:
We can also make a model of what might be in a drop of blood. You will need something to make
each part of the blood. Here are some ideas:
1.​ ​A plastic bag that can be closed.
2.​ ​Plasma - Cooking oil or corn starch.
3.​ ​Red blood cells – lots! Round, red candies or pom poms.
4.​ ​White blood cells – Jelly beans, Q-tip heads, white pom poms, or lima beans.
5.​ ​Platelets – Lentils, crushed macaroni, or large candy sprinkles.
Add these all together to see what it might look like if you were shrunk down in the Magic School
Bus traveling through the blood in your body!