MadSci Network: Anatomy |
Your scenario as described would be impossible to achieve in reality. There are circumstances where a person could bleed to death from minor wounds (e.g. if the person were a hemophiliac). However, a person would die long before 100% of the blood was drained; and once a person is dead, the heart stops; and once the heart stops, there would be no further bleeding. (Bleeding occurs because of the blood pressure maintained by a beating heart. Because of the small and collapsible nature of our blood vessels and blood clotting, physical forces such as surface tension and viscosity would prevent any further draining, especially from any minor wounds). However, after a person is dead, it is possible to actively pump most of the blood out, but only by first quickly injecting medication to prevent the blood from clotting, and then replacing the blood with another liquid. Morticians and pathologists will do this and replace blood with formaldehyde or another preservative when embalming. As for what a body with 0% blood would look like, the color of a living person comes from the oxygen in the blood rather than the blood itself. When a person dies, blood is no longer oxygenated and that is why corpses have that pale color associated with death. A dead person with 0% blood would probably look no different. (answered by Henry Hsia, MD my co-worker)
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