plasma carries molecules that come from the breakdown of digested food, such as glucose and fats

blood is made up of four components: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets

red blood cells take up oxygen in the lungs and deliver it to cells elsewhere in the body

a red blood cell is made mostly of hemoglobin, which is an iron-containing protein that binds chemically to oxygen molecules

one type recognizes disease-causing organisms such as bacteria and alert the body that it has been invaded

platelets are cell fragments that play an important part in forming blood clots

fibrin gets it name from the fact that it weaves a net of tiny fibers across the cut in the blood vessel

the marker molecules on your red blood cells determine your blood type and the type of blood that you can safely receive in transfusions

the lymphatic system is a network of vein-like vessels that returns blood to the bloodstream

once the blood is inside the lymphatic system, it is called lymph