Final answer:
Blood is a fluid connective tissue composed of formed elements and plasma. It is critical for transportation, defense, and homeostasis regulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Blood is a fluid connective tissue critical to the transportation of nutrients, gases, and wastes throughout the body; to defend the body against infection and other threats; and to the homeostatic regulation of pH, temperature, and other internal conditions. Blood is composed of formed elements-erythrocytes, leukocytes, and cell fragments called platelets-and a fluid extracellular matrix called plasma. More than 90 percent of plasma is water. The remainder is mostly plasma proteins-mainly albumin, globulins, and fibrinogen-and other dissolved solutes such as glucose, lipids, electrolytes, and dissolved gases. Because of the formed elements and the plasma proteins and other solutes, blood is sticky and