Why can blood be green?

Currant

Each person, to one degree or another, tries to express his individuality, his difference from other members of society, and sometimes even demonstrate some kind of superiority. The expression blue blood in a person has long become a metaphor and perfectly characterizes people who consider themselves head and shoulders above the rest, endowed with special privileges. Scientists suggest that the expression is not unfounded: people with blue blood really exist. In addition, people and carriers of the “blue blood” disease - hemophilia can include themselves as owners of a unique natural combination of genes.

The blue color of blood is not unusual in nature. There are a lot of blue-blooded representatives in the animal world. In humans, the respiratory pigment is responsible for the delivery of oxygen to tissues. The compound is based on iron, which gives blood its red color. Thus, in squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish, hemocyanin, which contains copper, is used as a respiratory blood pigment. Pure copper is dark orange in color, but its compounds have a bluish-greenish tint (you can recall the blue powder of copper sulfate for treating plants against pests). It is the copper-containing compound that gives the blue color to the blood of animals. Such blue blood is also found in representatives of crustaceans, centipedes, snails and spiders.

Prospectors associate the appearance of people with blue blood on the globe with the popularity of copper products in ancient times. Women wore massive copper jewelry and ate food from copper utensils, as a result of which the metal accumulated in the body, which affected the color of the blood of the woman's unborn child. was partially replaced by copper and acquired a bluish-purple color.

Blue blood is credited with extraordinary properties: it clots quickly and is practically not susceptible to disease, since copper is a strong antiseptic. Historical sources contain written evidence of military battles between English knights and Saracens that took place in the middle of the 12th century. Even with numerous wounds, the noble knights did not suffer large blood loss, that is, it was increased. At the moment, the opinions of scientists are divided. Some people count blood a special adaptive element of evolution, its separate reserve branch, and they claim that about 5-7 thousand people with blue blood live on Earth. They are called kyanetics. In the event of unfavorable conditions and cataclysms, it is the kyanetics who will be able to survive and give life to subsequent generations.

Another part of the researchers suggests that “blue-bloodedness” is the result of a rare combination of genes and belongs to a group of orphan (rare and poorly studied) diseases in which deviations in the genetic code occur with a probability of 1 case in 5,000 people and much less frequently.

The term “blue blood” itself is widely used from Spain. Noble people were very proud of the pale, sometimes bluish color of their skin, carefully protecting it from tanning, and themselves from marriage ties with dark-skinned Moors. Rich, pale-skinned aristocrats did not have to work under the scorching rays of the sun, struggling to earn their own food.

Later, the concept of blue blood was further strengthened thanks to. Hereditary incoagulability is a classic example of recessive, sex-linked inheritance of a pathology in a closed population. Medical students study genetics on the pedigree of the descendants of Queen Victoria, a carrier of the hemophilia gene.

Women are carriers of the hemophilia gene, but men are affected.

It was believed that in order to maintain the family, marriages in the royal environment should be concluded among a narrow circle of selected persons. However, this statement did not justify itself: men from the family of Queen Victoria suffered from hemorrhages, any or a lump was life-threatening. In addition, in closely related marriages, a lot of genetic defects appear, leading to the appearance of infertile descendants and degeneration of the family.

Among the rarest (“blue”) is the fourth negative – no more than 5% of the Earth’s population. You might think that having such rare group, its owners must suffer from large blood losses - it is difficult for them to choose. In fact, the opposite is true: in critical cases, when it is impossible to carry out a group-to-group transfusion, representatives of the fourth group will benefit from the blood of all other groups - for this they are called ideal recipients.

Arterial and venous blood

There are different views on the evolution of blood group differences. The rare fourth blood group is considered the youngest, appearing only 1500-2000 years ago. As a result of crossing the genes of the second (A) and, a fourth group with the genetic code AB arose. However, there are supporters of the opposite opinion: supposedly the fourth blood group was originally inherent in all ancient people and even their ancestors - great apes.

In the process of evolution, the fourth group split and gave rise to branches of different groups. The latest version is supported by the theory of ontogenesis, which states that a person, in the process of intrauterine development, repeats all stages of evolution. Indeed, while in the womb, the fetus has a common fourth blood group for up to three months, and only later does differentiation into the remaining groups occur.

The same theory applies to people with blue blood. The researchers found that in the process of respiration and the supply of oxygen to tissues, copper and vanadium ions initially predominated. Later, the body evolved, iron ions showed better capabilities for transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Blue blood remained among mollusks as a necessary adaptive element, since they do not have a branched circulatory system and imperfect thermoregulation. Without precise dosing of oxygen portions by copper ions, these animals would have died out long ago. Now copper plays an irreplaceable role in the process of intrauterine development of the human fetus during the formation of the hematopoietic system, its role is also important in adults, and blue blood among some representatives of humanity has remained as an atavism.

It should be noted that even the most ordinary person blood has different shades. When oxygen is enriched in the lungs, arterial blood becomes bright scarlet, saturated with carbon dioxide, and has a dark cherry color.

Everyone should know this fact medical officer for adequate first aid for injuries and bleeding.

Some nutritionists suggest shaping your diet according to your blood type.

Initially, ancient people obtained food by hunting animals. During that historical period, it prevailed, which is why the owners of the first group are called “hunters.” Their diet should be dominated by meat products - a source of proteins, fatty acids and amino acids. For food purposes, you need to use “ripened” meat, after keeping it at a low positive temperature. At the same time, its fermentation occurs and positive changes in its taste, aroma and structure occur, and digestibility improves.

With the transition to a sedentary lifestyle and the emergence of agriculture, it appeared. Its representatives are recommended to introduce predominantly vegetarian products into their diet. Vegetables are a rich source of carbohydrates, vitamins, and contain a lot of magnesium, potassium and iron. Dietary fiber and organic acids in vegetables play an important role in digestion.

The third blood group is the descendants of livestock breeders. It will be useful to use milk and dairy products in their diet; they are low in calories, stimulate the functioning of the kidneys, intestines, etc. It is the main source of calcium.

Nutritionists advise representatives of the rarest fourth blood group to make up their meals from fermented milk products, seafood and vegetables. Fermented milk products are rich in lactic acid, which has a beneficial effect on the intestinal flora, and also contributes to the production of B vitamins. Seafood (mussels, squid, oysters) contains complete proteins, vitamins and is low in calories.

Regardless of blood type and color, a person’s diet should be rational and balanced. The approximate daily calorie content should not exceed 2800-3000 kcal, and for overweight people - no more than 1700-1800 kcal. You should avoid eating fatty, spicy, fried foods and alcohol too often. You need to drink up to 2 liters of water per day.

Classes physical exercise necessary for the health of every person. The optimal load is 3-4 classes per week. Walking and jogging are very good. You should choose a jogging route away from roadways, dusty streets and industrial areas. It is best to run and walk in a park where there are many trees. This way the blood will be saturated with oxygen, and not with harmful emissions from the road. The load should be increased gradually, depending on how you feel.

Swimming is also useful - it increases the vital capacity of the lungs. Aerobics gives flexibility to the figure, and rhythmic cardio exercises strengthen the heart muscle (for example, jumping rope, shaping).

Intimate life

It is believed that people with the same blood groups feel their kinship on a subconscious level and emotional contact arises between them, which can lead to close relationships.

Representatives of the first and second blood groups are impatient, prone to competition, leaders by nature, including in intimate life, while the third and fourth are softer, open and flexible, but sometimes they are impulsive. It's all about regulation in the body. People of the first two blood groups have a longer period of removal of stress hormones – adrenaline and noradrenaline – from the blood than others. Differences in emotionality can have an impact on close relationships. Interestingly, same-sex marriages are most often created by people with the rarest fourth blood group.

Education

It has been noticed that people with the first blood group more often choose professions where they can show leadership: managers, bank workers, politicians. The second is characterized by stable, orderly work of a librarian, accountant, and programmer. Holders of the third group are always on the lookout and more often receive education as a journalist, military man, hairdresser, or cook. The best professions For creative representatives of the fourth group, they become a designer, director, and writer.

The success and position of a person often does not depend on what type and color of blood he has, but everything comes from his own desire to live a bright, fulfilling life, develop, learn and achieve his goals.

Video - About the blue blood type in some people:

Have you ever seen blood? Everyone saw the blood, but not everyone wondered why it was red. It would be great if the blood turned green, for example! But this is not fantasy. We will explain to you why blood can be green.

Hemoglobin is responsible for the red pigmentation of our blood, which in turn serves as a carrier of oxygen. Not only humans have blood, but also animals, birds, fish, etc. Some invertebrate animals do not use hemoglobin as an oxygen carrier, but other various pigment components, which include ions of various metals.

If we take as an example some mollusks, as well as animals living in the oceans, we can find a high content of hemocyanin (a pigment mixed with copper ions) in their blood. Because of this pigmentation, the blood turns blue, green variations are possible, it all depends on the concentration of hemocyanin.

One of the frog species that scientists found in Cambodia has green blood. The pigment biliverdin is responsible for this color. It is synthesized in the liver, representing a substance in the intermediate stage of hemoglobin breakdown not only in these frogs, but also in humans. One difference is that this pigment is excreted from the body along with the bile outflow, but in frogs it is not excreted, it only accumulates and wanders inside, saturating their blood with a green color.

Green blood also happens in humans, but this phenomenon occurs extremely rarely. This color change is usually caused by medications which contain certain sulfur compounds, and it very quickly combines with hemoglobin. As a result, sulfohemoglobin is formed, which gives the blood a green color. For people with such “dye” inside, this does not cause any inconvenience.

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Do humans have green blood? This is reality

Doctors at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver encountered an amazing and shocking phenomenon when they examined a patient hospitalized for surgery. When the nurse made a puncture in the vein and began to draw blood for tests, she was shocked, because the man’s blood was green, reminiscent of the color of an avocado peel!

The reason for this amazing change in blood color was ... drugs from the sulfonamide group (for example, Sumatriptan, Phthalazol, Biseptol, Groseptol, etc.), which the man took in large quantities to reduce pain. And his pain arose due to leg atrophy syndrome, which developed due to the fact that he fell asleep while sitting on his knees.

The fact is that when sulfonamides enter the blood, they bind to hemoglobin, forming sulfohemoglobin, which is colored green. If you take sulfonamide drugs in normal dosages, the amount of sulfohemoglobin in the blood is insignificant, and it cannot give it a green color. And due to taking sulfonamide drugs in high dosages, a large number of sulfohemoglobin, which gives blood its characteristic green color.

The site provides background information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Consultation with a specialist is required!

In rare cases, blood can take on a green tint in humans. This rare disease is called sulfhemoglobinemia. In this case, the structure of hemoglobin changes, sulfur atoms are added to it, disrupting the ability of hemoglobin to bind oxygen. The cause of this disease can be the abuse of drugs from the sulfonamide group.

Finally, underwater at great depths, if bleeding begins, even normal human red blood will appear green. This is due to the fact that the red part of the spectrum cannot overcome the water column. Of course, this will only be a visual illusion; in reality, the blood will not turn green.

In 2007, seasoned Canadian surgeons had to endure a real shock. From the patient they began to operate on, blood suddenly flowed... dark green in color. Like an alien.

After a blood test, it turned out that this patient suffered from sulfohemoglobinemia - this disease occurs when a sulfur atom attaches to hemoglobin, changing its structure. At the same time, the color of the blood also changes.

This disease developed in a Canadian due to abuse of a migraine medication that contains sulfonamides. The patient was advised to refrain from taking these tablets, and after a few weeks his blood turned red again. As a rule, those with green blood themselves are not bothered by this.

Green blood, although rare, is still found among representatives of the animal world of the Earth. Sometimes this is the norm, and sometimes it is an anomaly, as, for example, in humans. But first things first…

The main function of blood is to transport various substances throughout the body. The most important such substance is oxygen. In most vertebrates, the transport of oxygen is carried out by the iron-containing protein hemoglobin, which is part of the blood - it gives the blood its red color

Many invertebrates do not have hemoglobin in their blood, but use other metal-containing proteins to deliver oxygen. For example, hemocyanin, a blood pigment containing copper, gives the blood of mollusks and arthropods a blue and sometimes bluish-green color. Yes, yes, blue (blue) blood also happens. And purple... but more on that next time.

Green blood also occurs in vertebrates. Relatively recently, a frog discovered in Cambodia, in whose blood the pigment biliverdin predominates, thanks to it, has a green blood color. Biliverdin is an intermediate product of the breakdown of hemoglobin, which is formed in the liver. By the way, biliverdin is also formed in humans, giving a greenish color to bile. However, in the Cambodian frog (Chiromantis samkosensis), biliverdin is not excreted in the bile through the intestines, but enters back into the blood. This is the reason for the green blood in this case.

Green blood in humans

It is extremely rare for humans to have green blood. This anomaly occurs when there is an excess of sulfur in the human body, due, for example, to frequent intake of sulfur-containing drugs.

In the blood, sulfur reacts chemically with hemoglobin and forms sulfohemoglobin. It gives human blood a dark green color. At the same time, a person can live with such blood without any problems and not even suspect it.