Top 5 Lethal Facts about BLOOD!!
It's 'thicker than water', you don't want it 'on your hands', Taylor Swift sings about the bad, and in Rambo's case, the first was probably the best. Welcome to WatchMojo's Top 5 Facts. In this instalment we're counting down the five most fascinating things that you probably didn't know about blood!
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#5: “Vampires” Are Real
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OK, so they don’t usually have overly sharp front teeth and they’re never normally allergic to the sun, but they do call themselves ‘vampires’ and they do literally drink blood. Aided by the advent of the internet, ‘blood feeding’ communities have emerged all over the world. For most partaking in the practice, it’s a clinical procedure, and not quite as painful or passionate as it is in the movies. Blood is drawn from a donor using a clinical scalpel or syringe, and then consumed by a ‘feeder’ who is often only drinking blood in the first place because it makes them feel healthier. Feeders say drinking blood helps them overcome headaches, fatigue and severe stomach pains.
#4: Mosquitoes Are Fussy Eaters
In general, mosquitoes tend to prefer blood type ‘O’ – which, annoyingly, is the most common type in most countries. Professor Jerry Butler of the University of Florida also claims that ‘one in ten people are highly attractive to mosquitoes’, deducing that mosquitoes choose who to chomp on because of the chemical and odour combinations that we exude. However, it’s only the female of the species that wants anything from us at all, because they require blood to develop fertile eggs. And, just in case you suffer from this specific nightmare, we’d like to put the record straight – it would take 1,200,000 mosquitoes, each biting and sucking once, to completely drain a human being of blood. Sleep well Mojoholics.
#3: There's Way More than One Type of Blood
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It’s common knowledge that there are 8 different blood types for humans; ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘AB’ and ‘O’, with Rh negative and positive for each. However, the ABO and Rh blood group systems are only 2 of the 35 known systems, meaning that there are over 200 other rare blood groups! But that’s nothing compared to other animals. Cows have at least 95 such systems, leading to over 800 possible blood types… And, if you venture elsewhere in the animal kingdom, you’ll find that blood isn’t actually always red. Spiders, lobsters and snails all have blue blood; Earthworms and leeches bleed green; and starfish sport a yellowish, semi-transparent liquid.
#2: We're Born with a Cup of Blood
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Despite the fact that pregnant women can experience a 50% increase in their blood levels after 20 weeks of pregnancy, an average newborn baby has just 240mL of the stuff in their system when they arrive. That’s less than a can of coke! By the time they’re 10, that child should have around 12 times as much blood running through their system. An average-sized adult should have around 20 times the stock, with between 4.7 and 5.5 litres of blood flowing through their veins, which is about 10 to 11 pints.
#1: Hearts Really Can Break
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It’s not just an expression, or the subject of a 1001 love songs, and saying I Love You again won’t cure it. ‘Broken Heart Syndrome’ is a real, medically acknowledged thing. To give it it’s scientific name, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is when the heart suddenly weakens – due to an intense emotional stress, such as the death of a loved one, or a break-up – which can, and often does, lead to acute heart failure. A fully functioning heart is capable of pumping blood around our bodies in under 30 seconds; if you’re lucky and you live to be old, it’ll pump 1.5 million barrels of blood in your lifetime. For that reason, ‘Broken Heart Syndrome’ is a serious problem! If your heart breaks, then you break. So, have these facts left you fascinated, or feeling slightly squeamish? Until next time, try not to let your blood boil, curdle, or run cold! For more biologically necessary Top 10s and essential for life Top 5s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com!
