What causes the metallic odor in blood? You’re apparently not smelling the iron itself, but rather the response of iron on your skin, and your skin is the source of the odor.
When applied to our skin, blood, which contains Fe2+, likewise leaves a metallic scent. This causes the “coppery” odor of blood, although the skin’s fatty compounds are actually what cause the odor.
This article throws more light on the question “why does blood smell like metal?” and explores more about blood and its constituents.
Why does my blood smell like metal?
Human blood has a strong metallic odor to many individuals due to the iron it contains. In fact, perspiration combines with certain iron-containing objects, like coins, to create a metallic odor when individuals brush their skin along them.
Given that blood contains iron and other elements, those with keen senses of smell may also detect a metallic scent from blood on the skin. The metallic odor can frequently be eliminated by washing your hands with soap and water.
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Blood
All of the body’s components can continue to function by receiving oxygen and nutrition through the blood. The lungs, kidneys, and digestive system use the blood to transport carbon dioxide and other waste products for elimination from the body. Additionally, blood distributes hormones throughout the body and fights infections.
Plasma and blood cells make up blood. A yellowish fluid called plasma contains nutrients, proteins, hormones, and waste materials. The functions of the various blood cell types vary.
Types of blood
Red blood cells
Red blood cells, commonly known as erythrocytes, have the appearance of flat, slightly indented disks. Hemoglobin is an oxygen-carrying protein found in red blood cells. Hemoglobin absorbs oxygen in the lungs, giving blood its vivid red color. Hemoglobin transports oxygen to various bodily areas as it circulates through the body.
Red blood cells have a four-month lifespan on average. The body produces new red blood cells every day to replace those that are lost or perish. The bone marrow, which is located inside bones, is where RBCs are created.
White blood cells (WBCs)
Leukocytes, commonly known as white blood cells, are a vital component of the immune system. The immune system aids the body in infection defense. White blood cells of various sorts combat bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Certain white blood cell subtypes produce antibodies, which are unique proteins that enable the body to recognize and eliminate foreign substances.
White blood cells come in a variety of varieties, and they can live anywhere from a few hours to several years. In the bone marrow as well as other organs including the spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes, the body is continually producing new cells.
WBCs are much less common in blood than red blood cells, yet the body can produce more WBCs to fight illness. A person with an infection typically has a higher white blood cell count than normal because more WBCs are being produced or are entering the bloodstream to fight the infection.
Platelets
The little oval-shaped cells are known as platelets, or thrombocytes, aid in the clotting process. Platelets swarm to the site of a blood vessel rupture to assist stop the leak. Blood clotting proteins called coagulation factors work with platelets to stop bleeding both internally and externally.
Only nine days are allowed for platelets to survive in the bloodstream before they must be replaced by fresh ones produced by the bone marrow.
How Does Blood Circulate Through the Body?
The heart pumps blood throughout our bodies with each heartbeat, supplying oxygen to every cell. Blood returns to the heart after supplying oxygen. The blood is subsequently sent to the lungs by the heart so that it can absorb additional oxygen. This loop keeps happening over and over.
Blood arteries in the circulatory system move blood away from and toward the heart.
Our bodies’ blood is transported by two different types of blood vessels:
Arteries
Blood that has received oxygen from the lungs travels from the heart through arteries to the rest of the body.
Veins
The blood then returns by veins to the heart and lungs where it receives additional oxygen before returning to the body via the arteries.
At pulse sites, such as the wrist and neck, where sizable, blood-filled arteries are close to the skin’s surface, you may feel the blood moving through the body as the heart beats.
Functions of blood
Blood serves many vital purposes for survival. They consist of:
- supplying tissues and cells with oxygen
- giving cells critical nutrients like glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids
- eliminating waste products including urea, lactic acid, and carbon dioxide
- white blood cells defend the body against illnesses, infections, and foreign objects.
- control of body temperature
Blood types
The antigens on red blood cells identify a person’s blood type. Protein molecules called antigens are present on the cell surfaces.
Plasma contains antibodies, which are proteins that alert the immune system to the presence of foreign chemicals that could be dangerous. The immune system defends the body against the risk of infection or disease.
If a person is having an organ transplant or a blood transfusion, it is crucial to know their blood type. If the blood is the wrong type, antibodies will assault newly formed blood cells, creating potentially fatal consequences. For instance, cells with A antigens will be attacked by anti-A antibodies.
Humans can belong to one of the four major blood types. Eight major categories can be formed by these groupings, each of which can be Rhd-positive or -negative.
- A+ or A-
- B+ or B-
- AB+ or AB-
- O+ or O-
What Happens If Someone Doesn’t Have Enough Blood Cells?
The production of additional blood cells can occasionally be assisted by medication. Additionally, donating someone else’s blood occasionally allows for the replacement of their blood’s particular proteins and blood cells. It’s known as a blood transfusion.
The component of blood that a person requires, such as platelets, RBCs, or a clotting factor, can be transfused. After a blood donation, the whole blood can be divided into its component parts and used in several ways.
Summary
Blood is necessary to keep the body alive and in good health. It performs a variety of tasks, including oxygen and nutrition delivery. Red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, and platelets are the blood’s primary four constituents.
Many people find the strong metallic smell of human blood to be caused by the iron it contains. In fact, when people rub their skin along certain iron-containing objects, such as coins, perspiration reacts with them to produce a metallic stench.
Those with great senses of smell may also perceive a metallic scent from blood on the skin since blood contains iron and other components.
WRITTEN AND EDITED RESPECTIVELY BY:
Michael Sarfo
Michael Sarfo is a graduate of the University of Ghana, Legon. He is a content creator for enochkabange.com and a writer for Wapomu
Dr. Ehoneah Obed is a registered pharmacist and a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana. He has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and has experience working in a Tertiary hospital as well as various community pharmacies. He is also a software engineer interested in healthcare technologies.
His love for helping others motivates him to create content on an array of topics mostly relating to the health of people and also software engineering content.
He is knowledgeable in digital marketing, content marketing, and a host of other skills that make him versatile enough to uplift any team he joins.
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