Golden Blood

Blood. A substance that carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells and carries away carbon dioxide and other waste products. A transport liquid that is pumped by the heart to all corners of your body, before returning to the heart to repeat the process.

So what's so special about blood? Well, other than the life saving traits we know it has, there are actually quite a few fun and some strange facts you might not know.

Shakespeare

Yes Shakespeare. The artist that trumps all written artists (as far as popularity goes) and still to this day in understood by many few, is part of weird facts about blood.

A fact I'm sure you are unaware of (unless you are a fanatic reader of Williams work yourself) is that Shakespeare uses the word blood at least once in every single play he has written. A weird and slightly underwhelming fact that even as a Shakespearean fanatic myself; I was very much unaware.

Blue Blood

No I'm not talking about the daughter or son of a successful detective, who loses their father in a drug arrest gone wrong; forever hoping to follow in the footsteps of Daddy and become the next police detective because they have blue blood. No. I mean literal blue blood.

Most people would associate blue blood (or any colour blood other than red for that matter) with something you would see in a sci-fi movie. But, there are living creatures on earth who actually have blue blood and there is a normal scientific explanation for it. Spiders, lobsters and snails have blue blood due to the presence of the protein haemocyanin which contains copper.

However, you think that is weird then you will be shocked to hear about the case of a 25 year old woman in America, who turned up at the hospital with shortness of breath and skin discolouration; only to be told by a doctor she had blue blood. Yes actual blue blood.

Blue blood found in humans is a condition called methemoglobinemia, which is a rare blood disorder that causes people to produce an abnormal amount of methemoglobin.

There have only been 319 known and confirmed cases in the world.

Pregnant Blood

Ok, I don't mean actual pregnant blood of course I mean the connection between the two.

We already know how ridiculously strong and powerful women are. We are smart, strong, brave, selfless and have the ability to carry and grow a tiny baby before suffering for 72 hours in the maternity ward to squeeze the devil spawn out, while ruthlessly and unapologetically breaking our partners hand in the process.

However, during pregnancy, by the 20th week the amount of blood in a pregnant woman's body would have increased by 50%. This is to help support both mother and baby in healthy growth and to make sure both have a good and healthy amount of oxygen flow.

Presidential Blood

Yes, presidential blood. A fact you may not know but it's rather unsurprising is the storage of presidential blood.

I'd love to say there was a drone that flew overhead, waiting to swoop down and self deliver the much needed blood to the president in the event of an emergency. But, unfortunately this unusual fact just means that the presidents blood is simply carried in the presidents car at all times incase of an emergency.

Less dramatic. But, still very cool.

Golden Blood

Yes, golden blood. We all have it. But, don't think you can suddenly start draining your vital plasma and extracting thousands of pounds worth of gold to sell at the local pawn shop while in desperate need of a lifeline as your lifeless body hits the floor. No. Don't, don't do that. It's not worth it anyway.

Human blood contains 0.2 milligrams of gold and as the average gram of gold is worth only approximately $55, then it's pretty pointless (even on a mass extraction scale, again don't do this)

So the next time your nephew is being mocked for being the goody two shoes and bullied for being the best at everything, with names such as big boffin or golden boy. Just simply tell him to respond, "Yes, yes I am and so are you".

However, there are even more ludicrous cases of golden blood. Oh yes 43 people in the world have actually got larger quantities of gold running through their veins. Gold. Otherwise smartly called 'Golden Blood' (genius) and doctors to this day are still slightly baffled as to how this strange phenomenon can occur.

So now you can brag about being the golden boy (or girl) and explain to all your close ones how aliens are not the only ones responsible for the blue blood tales and watch them question or be amazed by your facts.

You're welcome.