Rheology and Components of Blood — Lesson 2

This lesson covers the fundamentals of rheology and the different components of blood. It delves into the non-Newtonian behavior of complex fluids, particularly blood, which is a suspension of different flexible particles in a simple fluid. The lesson explains the different components of blood, including plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, and their respective properties. It also discusses the factors that affect the viscosity of blood, such as age, weather, geographical conditions, and physiological conditions. The lesson further explores the mechanical properties such as shape, size, and volume fraction of different particles present in the blood and their impact on the rheological behavior of blood.

Video Highlights

01:33 - Understanding blood morphology
02:57 - Exploring the properties of plasma
05:36 - Discussing the role of red blood cells
16:30 - Examining the function of white blood cells
18:19 - Studying the impact of platelets
19:55 - Analyzing the rheological behavior of blood

Key Takeaways

- Blood is a complex fluid with non-Newtonian behavior due to the suspension of different flexible particles.
- The different components of blood, including plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, have unique properties that contribute to the overall behavior of blood.
- The viscosity of blood is dependent on various factors and is a variable property.
- The mechanical properties such as shape, size, and volume fraction of different particles present in the blood significantly impact its rheological behavior.
- The viscosity of blood decreases with a decrease in capillary diameter, a phenomenon known as the Fahraeus-Lindquist effect.