Why Is Fake Blood so Hard to Make? 

This could solve the vampire-human war going for centuries

I wrote an essay on this topic for my masters, and I have to say, this was a very accurate and concise summary of the topic. Great job!

Well this was a bloody fascinating video

What do you call a bloody troll Hemo-Goblin

Moral of the story: Donate if you are able to. It's important and worth a bit of discomfort or anxiety.

There is also a trial being done in the UK using saline rather than blood for emergency transfusions done by air ambulances. A large part of the problem with blood loss is loss of the fluid volume, which can be safely replaced by saline of the right concentration. This might be sounding like a terrible idea, but apparently it isn't. If the patient actually needs more blood, they can be given a blood transfusion when they get to hospital, but in a lot of trauma cases just replacing the lost volume with saline can be enough. I heard about this on the BBC Inside Health podcast, which is free on itunes. I highly recommend it if you're interested in healthcare science, and/or are a uk citizen and want to keep up to date with what's actually going on in the nhs in more detail than the news will give you.

Just so people know, when you "donate" blood....they sell the blood to hospitals for $700+. I used to volunteer at my local hospital and the nurses complain about how expensive it was. I even looked at some of the quotes they'd get. Red Cross specifically was on the high end (About $1000-1500 per pint)

If, someday, fake blood became a reality... would it still be fake?

I love it when a new scishow video comes out right before I'm going to bed ^^ Have a good one everybody!

blood substitute. what, blood lite?

wonder if we could genetically modify a group of animals to have some kind of organ that manufactures different types of human blood, still has an expiry date but i mean we could use it as we need it

Fantastic! An episode about my field of work! My first thought was indeed to use stem cells, especially for very rare or valuable blood types (Ro, neonatal units, or to get some extra O negs during busy periods like Christmas and Easter); just the other day my team had to sort through about 1000 blood packs to find a single donation which was necessary for someone with very specific requirements, and it saved their life. So if you're able to, please donate blood! And consistently if possible, as this can allow up to three different products to be made from a single donation.

Hi Hank! Thanks for talking about this issue as it is quite important. I did research at the undergraduate level on a Hemoglobin based oxygen carrier (HBOC) starting from bovine hemoglobin. It's interesting work, but just like you said, its not an easy task!

Hearing the term "blood substitute" throws me back to the lab scene in Daybreakers.

Crips been asking the same question to infiltrate

Extremely interesting topic and informative video! Flow of information was smooth too(pun intended). Thanks Scishow!

to be fair red blood cells have had millions of years of evolution to become as good as they are so the fact that humans can get anywhere close to it is remarkable

im glad that sciShow used "power point" approach rather than goes full subtitled everything like the old video

Interestingly enough, some of the lectureres at my university have been working on this and have come close to solving it. Essentially using chemistry to create artificial Nano 'cells' around each hemoglobin to prevent toxicity. IIRC they've begun clinical trials recently.

You'll be wanting some of the old blood. But first... you'll need a contract

Horror movies have figured it out though.

This is an interesting subject - thank you

Thanks to Doctor Michael Morbius we have artificial blood now!

A big portion of my last biology exam was about the complications of creating artificial blood, in particular about some kind of hemoglobin from I believe lobsters or something. I don't remember much but it was very interesting

I thought this would be about real fake blood, not fake real blood.

I LOVE THIS CHANNEL

You either now have "The Bloodmobile" by They Might Be Giants stuck in your head, or you're googling it.

You're my favorite SciShower.

Artificial blood if successfully created will certainly be a nobel-prize winning invention.

Now what about platelets? My local blood center begs everyone to do apheresis instead of regular whole blood, but did a triple platelet donation yesterday and being hooked up for 90 minutes starts to get uncomfortable. I think it's worth it to help save lives, but don't find it as easy as regular whole blood donation.

Imagine what happen to the mosquitoes, would they adapt to the new blood? What if one bites someone who doesn't have the new blood and then goes to someone who does and vice versa

BLOODY BRILLIANT

I'm not a biologist, but blood is produced by bone marrow right? Why not make artificially generated blood by farming it in the lab from bone marrow? Maybe I'm drastically underestimating the challenges involved, but wouldn't that at least solve the issue of there just not being enough blood donations?

Rain of blood...SHALL RAIN DOWN TODAY!

Whoa I just got home from school and saw this in my subscription feed then realized it was posted 7 mins ago

"Umbilical cord blood" The most disturbing thing I've heard this week.

Evidently the competing blood substitutes are Red, and, also, a "Yellow" that is more easily peed out "because more conclude the color of natural urine is yellow", and "the natural urine color being yellow", also was possibly concluded about the Liver "secreting" a substance not truly itself the waste of the Human body, but because of a "chemical reaction", possibly because of the "Sunshine Bread Company", and "What's better than Sliced Bread"?

This brings to mind a really cook book called "Second Angel" An AI supercomputer uses human blood to store and transfer data. highly highly recommend it. very cool SciFi story that honestly rivals The Matrix, IMO

I was under the impression there was a fluorocarbon that worked but was just way too expensive?

Hey, SciShow, How do cells know whether to bond together (and how do they do this) or float freely such as blood cells?

Blood is vital. Not having enough good blood makes you feel like crap. All the time. 🙋🏽

What about creating a blood generator. Use the body tissues that makes red blood cells, scaling that up, adding nutrients generating cells which are siphoned off and use for transfusions.

i thought fake blood for those gore special effects lmao my bad still a great vid as always ! :'D

Can you consider to give a quick recap of the content at the end of your videos (like the CrashCourse channel sometimes does)? It would dramatically increase the learning effect.

Did anyone else interpret the title as "why is movie blood so hard to make look realistic"

I still opt we use human cloning for all organs and neverending blood supplies. It is important that the clones are self aware so that we can have angry international debate regarding ethics.

Even if it is created, we still have to prime it with nanomachines before we can make badass ninja cyborgs.

yes it has a really short shelf life. that's why, when I turn 18, I will like donate blood a lot. not just when there is an emergency situation when there are blood drafts. then I even think it might go stale... yes I like doing things for others, having blood taken is nothing. have done it a few times, but wasn't for donations.

Because it's alive!!

Hey Scishow! Could you do a video on Misophonia please? This is a disorder many people don't know about and that greatly affects the lives of those who have it.

One day those vampires will come out of hiding and become a part of normal society when true (fake) blood comes out.

"blood substitute" there's phrase I didn't think existed...

"You don't want to inject that [corn syrup] into your veins thinking 'Oh! That's gonna help!'". Thanks dude! That was great. 0:11

Why do I become to feel extremly fragile and am afraid to hit anythig too hard when I hear discussions about blood? I mean, it's like I'm afraid for my capilares...

Why is the mentioned video on blood transfusion not apparent in the show notes?

Beet Root and water for thin blood. Beet Root, water and baking soda for thick blood. I've used this mixed every Halloween for the past 18-years :) **Warning: It might stain depending on the material but most times not! I've been Gene Simmons(KISS), Alice Cooper, a Tampon on its period and VARIOUS of Corpses!!

The obstacles are overwhelming. Perfluorocarbons aren't at all new, but lead to a toxic dead end, so to speak. The problem of raw haemoglobin clogging the kidneys and being neurotoxic, have been attempted to be overcome by packing them in synthetic membranes. Aside from anything else, the resultant spherical shape prevents them from traversing capillaries, which are considerably smaller than red blood cells. Real red cells are remarkably elastic, and form a parachute shape to get through. Stem cells to produce masses of red cells? Well, I've been out of the game a long time, but cell culture requires factors not easily produced in the lab. Foetal calf serum is almost universally used to provide these factors. The expense alone, of providing sufficient quantities of this, would be enough to make mass production impracticable. Regarding blood of compatible type, and I stand to be corrected here, humans alone (maybe that should be primates alone) have different blood types. As an example, you can transfuse a dog with blood from any other dog. HLA typing does not apply to red cells. One way which might work, regards embryonic tolerance. Exposure to foreign antigens before a certain level of development provides lifelong tolerance to it. So for example, if a foetus were to be transfused with some sheep blood, in utero, then sheep blood could probably be safely transfused at any later stage of life. Can't see this idea ever getting up though. In fact, the whole quest for immortality gives me the creeps. Every time I hear about the tragic shortfall in organs for transplantation, I think, so what? Considering the ever expanding billions of people on the planet, the individual tragedy counts as nothing. The health care dollar is more effectively spent on much more mundane things. This is my opinion only.

Douglas Adams was onto something when he said 42 was the Meaning of Life.

Artificial bloood is hard to make because of the hemoglobin and other such that are required to transport oxygen around the circulator system. The blood itself is mostly water, some salts,a nd ofc the blood cells, red white and platelets. The thing is, when trying to artificially grow blood cells, like the active ingredient for blood, these are actual cells and can't be printed or something. I'd say the best way to mass produce these is to get some tissue that grows those, and feed it stuff to keep it alive and aiding it's production. The way to have lots of blood available is to store the blood cells and the fluid separate. You have someone in the need of blood, first you add the fluid, and when more is required, you add some of the concentrated blood cells to the fluid and administer that. Blood drives should also be done, for it's easier to give blood than it is to produce. The government should not endorse private blood drives or sources, but instead administrate those themselves, to avoid illegal practices. Both the fluid and blood cell types can be separated, and allow a more universal application, with also small cold storage options, like a 1 liter mini fridge with blood capsules, containing the various blood cells, with it's own small power storage and good thermal insulatory housing, to allow both maximum lifespans of the cells while keeping cost down. Until blood cells can be grown artificially, blood drives with payment on delivery, maximum once per month, will allow much needed healthy blood in the hospitalization environment. This must include the fact of whether or not is/was contaminated, disallowing further delivery of such, tied into the method of identification, administrated by the government.

Hi, why did you not add hemopure blood ? It's definitely used, not perfect, but a solution when nothing else could be used

I believe Cornell researchers just made a big break through in the stem cell approach very recently.

What about the crystalloid solutions, I've read scientist working on making it carry O2

I wonder if any blood substitute could be made from another metal than iron and our blood would be a different color until our bodies were able to replace it. Green blood from copper or blue blood from some other metal. :)

explain positive and negative blood types

I'd stick to some other way of showing stuff like health... like.. idk BATIM? It's measured in how much ink is on the screen Slender? It's measured in static! (well it's more of sanity, but you get the point.)

Hell IDK maybe because it's a living organism and not an inert liquid and we don't know how to create something that is alive from something that is not..... yet.

Interesting video

I do my part. The hard part is not forgetting during the 12 week intermediate period.

Vampire Bill needs Trueblood...

When I first saw the title my dumb ass wondered, "Is it really that hard to make? You can buy it at a Halloween or prop store for just a few bucks"

Skinny dipping in the LCL sea!

I wonder how much donated blood goes to waste, I've never thought about that

Who else thought he meant the prop "fake blood" used in movies?

I like how no one has noticed that he button one of his collars

Maybe the first step to making artificial blood is in producing factories in the form of artificial test tube bone.

keep wondering how hard it would be to cultivate bone marrow and keep it artificially "alive" and have it produce the blood for us.

I'm surprised the NHS is getting a lot of budget cuts

how many types of vitamins r there apart frm A,B,C,D,E,K??

What is the process of decaffeinating coffee/coffee beans?

We are born of the blood. Made men by the blood. Undone by the blood. Fear the old Blood!

with organ cloning, could we not clone the part of the body that produce blood, and just feed it, basically make blood farm, or from what I read on one website, the body uses a hormone to triggered blood production, could we not give that hormone to people with severe need of blood, this would not work for people with blood problem but still

Iron oxide and sea water may because of oxidation and reduction reaction nearly like blood

And that's why I'm a regular blood donar.

Creation continues to amaze is.

Reminds me of True Blood.

Any update since 3.5 years ago?

Im ashamed I thought this video was about making costume make up blood before it occured to me this is scischow and we have real blood problems.

Hank, you should've said "Don't forget to go to the blood drive and donate some blood"!

what happens if you eat when you upside down

Bloody Hell...

I thought this was going to be about the other kind of fake blood

It's bloody hard

I think we would have people that would reject it because it's not natural

Press the 9 key on your keyboard repeatedly moderately fast and it is hilarious. Sneak Peak: "Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!" Hank says as he bangs his fists up and down about a billion times.

Hank looks like Mr. Lahey from trailer park boys in this video

I took a picture of pomegranate juice on my knee, and told my friend that I fell as a joke. She was convinced 👍🏻

I wonder how much of that donated blood after that Nightclub shooting went to waste.

Can we make fake blood plasma? Doesn't that contain no actual blood cells?

Kind of a fitting video because I am donating blood tomorrow on Friday. :D

Dear SciShow heroes of mine, even if I am not able to be your patreon (now), I have a wish. Could you please make video about Rh factor? I am Rh negative and when I tried to search on YT some info.. I found out that I am illuminati, reptilian and other """so true""" information. I would love to hear about origin of this mutation? or what it is, the risk for pregnant mothers is now pretty common knowledge I hope. But mostly I need ground-standing info from relevant source. Lighthouse in the dark depths of internet