The blood is a medium that transports many important things through the vascular network. Some of the things the blood carries are: vitamins & minerals, water, hormones, waste products and proteins. It helps keeps the many systems in our body in check. Let me discuss what happens when hormones and water are absent from the blood. 1. Hormones: According to the Cleveland Clinic (2022), there are at least 50 identified hormones utilized by the human body. Hormones include: insulin, stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, thyroid hormones and aldosterone just to name a few. Without hormones circulating in our blood, we may experience loss of energy, metabolic dysfunction, electrolyte imbalance, poor stress response and impaired growth. 2. Water: the human body is said to be 80% water. Water plays a huge role in maintaining homeostasis and transportation of nutrients and waste (Betts et al., 2013). If water was absent from our blood we risk life-threatening conditions such as blood thickening, dehydrations, electrolyte imbalance, kidney dysfunction and cellular damage (Mayo Clinic, 2021; American Heart Association, 2023). In conclusion, a lack of water in the blood would have a domino effect on the body's ability to maintain homeostasis and conduct key physiological activities. While the body transports many useful materials throughout our body, it also functions as a disposal vehicle for waste products from metabolism and worn out cells that have served their function and ready to be renewed. Here are some questions to ponder: 1. Is it healthy for the blood to be completely devoid of waste products? 2. Do you think that blood health checks are accessible from where you are? Why?
References American Heart Association. (2023, November 14). Understand your risk for excessive blood clotting. www.heart.org. Retrieved December 18, 2023, from https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/venous-thromboembolism/understand-your-risk- for-excessive-blood-clotting Betts, J. G., Young, K. a. Y., Wise, J. a. W., Johnson, E., Poe, B., Kruse, D., Korol, O., Johnson, J., Womble, M., & Desaix, P. (2013). Anatomy and Physiology [Online Book]. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/1-introduction Cleveland Clinic. (2022, February 23). Hormones. Retrieved December 18, 2023, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22464-hormones Mayo Clinic. (2021, October 14). Dehydration - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic. Retrieved December 18, 2023, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc- 20354086