An efficient technician located an appropriate vein and after swabbing the area with an alcohol pad she promptly inserted a needle attached to what appeared to be a vacuum hose. I looked the other way and tried to relax. After hearing her comment about a nice blood flow I decided to take a quick look. There, through a clear tubing and into a plastic bag, ebbed the most precious liquid my body contained. It was my first voluntary sacrifice of blood.
Blood is an amazing commodity.
The average person contains about five quarts of it and it is crucial to life itself. None of us can survive without the red fluid because it carries oxygen and food to every part of our body. It carries waste products away from various body organs and it fights disease germs that constantly enter our bodies. Many of our organs work to keep the blood functioning. Our heart pumps blood throughout our body and our lungs supply it with oxygen.