• Question: why is blood red.

    Asked by hepworthandsimmons to Ben, Clare, Ezzy, Mario, Sam on 15 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Elizabeth Pearson

      Elizabeth Pearson answered on 15 Mar 2012:

      Because of the hemoglobin in red blood cells. It’s what the oxygen binds to. If it combines with carbon monoxide though it binds permanently and goes pink, but then it won’t take oxygen anymore.

    • Photo: Clare Burrage

      Clare Burrage answered on 15 Mar 2012:

      Human blood is red because it’s full of red blood cells. These are the cells that carry oxygen around our bodies, and they’re red because the molecule that attracts the oxygen to these cells (called haemoglobin) is red.
      Not all animals use blood to carry oxygen around their bodies, and so their blood is not red. Some insects can have blue, or even transparent blood.

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