Leukemia: Cancer of the Blood Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

The river of life, the blood is the body’s primary means of transportation. Blood is a part of the hematopoietic system, which also includes lymphatic tissue, bone marrow, and the spleen. Blood is a complex transport medium that performs vital pick-up and delivery services for the body by picking up food and oxygen from the digestive and respiratory systems, and delivering those vital elements to different cells of the body. In exchange of the blood and oxygen, blood then picks up wastes from the cells for delivery to the urinary organs. These functions could not be provided for the individual cells without the blood. Like any other structure of the body, blood can be attacked by many types of disease, such as Leukemia. Leukemia is a general name given to a number of blood cancers that affect the blood. Blood transports hormones, enzymes, buffers, other types of biochemicals that are important in body functions. The blood is made of plasma and formed elements. Plasma is the clear, straw-colored fluidpart of the blood. The formed elements consist of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The red blood cells (erythrocytes), play a critical role in transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide to various parts of the body, and play an important role in the homeostasis of the acid base balance of the body. The white blood cells (leukocytes), are responsible for cellular defense (phagocytosis of pathogenic microorganisms), humoral defense (secretion of antibodies involved in immune system response and regulation), and play a role in the body’s inflammatory response (secretion of Heparin and Histamine). Platelets play an important role in homeostasis of the blood and the coagulation (blood clotting). The average adult has appro... ...efinite way to prevent it from affecting the lives of many people. Fortunately, the medical world has developed many treatment options for the different types of leukemia and many people are able to survive and beat this potentially deadly cancer. Works Cited Bozzone, Donna M. â€Å"Leukemia.†Infobase Publishing Inc. 2009.11-134. CTCA Cancer Treatment Centers & Hospitals.Integrative Cancer Care.Web. 15 Jan 2012. http://cancercenter.com/. Lerner, Adrienne W. â€Å"Leukemia.†Greenhaven Press. 2009. 14-135. Leukemia and Lymphoma Society- Official Website.Web. 23 Jan 2012. http://www.leukemia.org. â€Å"Leukemia- Symptoms, Types, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment Options for Leukemia.†WebMD- Better Information Better Health.Web. 3 Feb 2012. http://www.webmd.com/cancer/tc/leukemia-topic-overview. Parks, Peggy J. â€Å"Leukemia.†ReferencePoint Press Inc. 2010. 8-73.