Blood cell facts for kids

Your blood is amazing! It's not just a red liquid; it's full of tiny living parts called blood cells. These special cells travel all over your body, doing super important jobs to keep you healthy and strong.

What Are Blood Cells?

Blood cells are tiny parts of your blood. They are so small you need a microscope to see them! Even though they are tiny, they do big jobs. They help you breathe, fight off sickness, and even stop bleeding when you get a cut.

There are three main kinds of blood cells that work together in your body:

• Red blood cells
• White blood cells
• Platelets

Red Blood Cells: Oxygen Carriers

Red blood cells are like tiny delivery trucks. Their main job is to carry oxygen from your lungs to every single part of your body. They also pick up carbon dioxide, a waste gas, and take it back to your lungs so you can breathe it out. Red blood cells get their color from a special protein called hemoglobin, which helps them carry oxygen.

White Blood Cells: Your Body's Defenders

White blood cells are the superheroes of your blood! They are a key part of your immune system, which protects you from sickness.

• They find and destroy germs like bacteria and viruses that try to make you sick.
• They also clean up dead cells and other waste in your body.

There are different types of white blood cells, each with a special way of fighting off invaders.

Platelets: The Clotting Crew

Platelets are not full cells, but tiny pieces of a very large cell called a megakaryocyte. Even though they are small, they have a huge job: helping your blood clot.

• When you get a cut or scrape, platelets rush to the injury.
• They stick together and form a plug, like a tiny dam, to stop the bleeding.
• This process is called blood clotting, and it's how your body heals wounds and prevents too much blood loss.

Images for kids

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  Red and white human blood cells as seen under a microscope using a blue slide stain

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  The darker red blood syringes have deoxygenated blood, whereas the brighter red have oxygenated blood.

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  Artificially colored electron micrograph of blood cells. From left to right: erythrocyte, thrombocyte, leukocyte.

See also

In Spanish: Células sanguíneas para niños