1. The average human adult has between 4.7 and 5.0 litres of blood in their body. Blood makes up around 7% of the weight of a human body.
2. Red blood cells have the important job of carrying oxygen around the body.
3. White blood cells are an important part of the body’s immune system. They defend against certain bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, infectious diseases and other unwanted materials.
4. A red blood cell can live up to 120 days.
5. Every play by Shakespeare contains the word ‘blood’ at least once. The least bloody of Shakespeare’s plays is Merry Wives Of Windsor in which the word ‘blood’ occurs only once and also only one ‘bloody’.
6. There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body. It's enough for it to circle around the world twice.
7. The first successful blood transfusions took place between dogs in the 1660s.
8. Grouping human blood types can be a difficult process and there are currently around 30 recognized blood types (or blood groups).
9. June 14 was chosen as World Blood Donor Day as it was the birthday of Karl Landsteiner (1868-1943) who won the Nobel prize in 1930 for his discovery of human blood groups.
10. Although averages vary from person to person, a general human being is known to have a normal blood pressure of around 112/64 mmHg. High blood pressure can increase the risk of a stroke or heart attack.
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