Why+does+blood+change+colour+when+it+touches+oxygen?


 * __WHY DOES BLOOD CHANGE COLOUR WHEN IT TOUCHES OXYGEN?__**

Answer the question below, append new answers to the top of this page. _ __Response 1:__ Blood is NOT blue when deoxygenated, this is a misconception. Deoxygenated blood is a dark, deep, red colour. Why? Because blue light travels far enough to be absorbed in to the vein and red is reflected. But if the vein is too far below the skin the blue light is not absorbed so more blue light reflects back than red light. We know this because we collect blood in a vacuum tube strait from a blue vein and It is a dark deep red. source https://www.msu.edu/~kalinkat/professionalpages/TechMatrixMaterials/documentarybloodmisconceptions.htm
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Now that that is cleared and blood is not blue here is the answer for why it is colour changing. So red blood cells have a haemoglobin that is a iron compound. This reacts with oxygen to make oxyhaemoglobin giving its bright red colour. Source The Usborne illiustrated Dictionary of Science Dr. Margaret Rostron, et al.

Response by Phillip Aubrecht

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