======Blood Model in a Bottle======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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**Alternative titles:** Bottle of Blood
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Fill a large plastic bottle with about 1–1.5 liters of water.  
  - Add 2 drops of yellow food coloring and 1 teaspoon of salt to represent plasma with dissolved minerals and nutrients.  
  - Add red food coloring, one drop at a time, until the water has a deep blood-like color.  
  - Place oat hoops in a ziplock bag, add red food coloring, and shake until they are evenly coated to represent red blood cells.  
  - Add the red oat hoops to the bottle.  
  - Add a handful of mini white marshmallows to represent white blood cells.  
  - Add purple pom poms (or raisins if unavailable) to represent platelets.  
  - Seal the bottle and gently swirl to see the mixture of blood components.



====Links==== 
Make Your Own Blood Jar - BME HealthReach: 
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Daily Dose of Play - (Grades 6-8) Blood Model Activity - Children's Discovery Museum: 
{{youtube>wJbpPLdJBnE?}}\\

📄 Blood Model in a Bottle - Cambridge Science Centre: [[https://www.petersfield.cambs.sch.uk/site/petersfield/reactFiles/pdfs/OpenUpScienceIssue9BloodDigital.pdf]]\\

====Variations====
  * Use rice or lentils dyed red as an alternative to oat hoops for red blood cells.  
  * Replace marshmallows with cotton balls for white blood cells.  
  * Use beads instead of pom poms for platelets.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Food coloring may stain—cover surfaces and wear old clothing.  
  * Do not eat the model contents.  
  * Supervise young children with small items such as pom poms and marshmallows (choking hazard).




====Questions to Consider====
  * What does each material in the bottle represent? (Oat hoops = red blood cells, marshmallows = white blood cells, pom poms = platelets, colored water = plasma.)  
  * Why is plasma important in blood? (It carries nutrients, dissolved substances, and waste around the body.)  
  * What role do platelets play when you get a cut? (They help blood clot and form scabs to stop bleeding.)  
  * Why is blood red? (Because of the presence of hemoglobin in red blood cells, which binds oxygen.)