The fact that our bodies contain blood is something that we very much take for granted. We hardly give it a second thought unless we cut ourselves or are donating blood. But of course, blood is vital to us and our bodies. It carries oxygen, hormones, chemicals and nutrients around, removes waste, helps regulate our body temperature, and helps healing and with fighting disease. But just how much blood is in your body?
How much blood is in the human body?
The truth is that the actual amount of blood in your body can vary. It can depend on factors such as these:
- Your age.
- Your gender.
- Your health.
- The altitude at which you live.
In general though, a good estimate is that your body’s blood mass will be about seven percent of your weight. You can then find the volume of blood using the formula mass = volume x density. That is, volume = mass / density.
The density of blood is about 1.06 grams / ml.
So the volume of blood in your body will be approximately:
(Body mass x 0.07) / 1.06
To estimate the volume of blood in your body (in liters), calculate seven percent of your body weight in kg and then divide by 1.06.
Below is a table that gives a rough idea of the volume of blood in the human body for various body weights. Bear in mind that, as stated earlier, the actual amount can vary according to a variety of factors.
[supsystic-tables id=1]
