The key difference between menstrual blood and regular blood is that menstrual blood contains vaginal secretion and the endometrial cells of the uterine while regular blood is highly oxygenated and has high concentrations of hemoglobin, RBC and WBC.
In forensic, blood fluids provide valuable evidence. In some instances, especially in the investigation of rape cases, it is necessary to differentiate normal blood from menstrual blood. Easy differentiation can be done based on the composition of each blood. Hemoglobin content, RBC and WBC count can be easily analyzed and compared between menstrual and normal blood. The concentrations of iron, hemoglobin RBC and WBC are less in menstrual blood than in regular blood. Moreover, menstrual blood contains dead and no longer functional tissues.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Menstrual Blood
3. What is Regular Blood
4. Similarities Between Menstrual Blood and Regular Blood
5. Side by Side Comparison – Menstrual Blood vs Regular Blood in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Menstrual Blood?
Menstrual blood or menstrual fluid is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. It is a complex biological fluid comprised of blood, vaginal secretion and endometrial cells of the uterine.
When compared to regular blood, menstrual blood is darker and not highly oxygenated. In fact, menstrual blood is a waste product. It contains dead and non-functional tissue parts. Furthermore, menstrual blood has low concentrations of iron, hemoglobin, WBC and RBC compared to regular blood. Discharge of menstrual blood takes place 2 to 7 days. Menstruation happens in every month, with an average of 28 days.
What is Regular Blood?
Regular blood is the fluid circulating in our body via blood vessels. It delivers oxygen and nutrition to body parts and transports waste of the metabolic processes away from the cells. There are blood cells suspended in blood plasma. Therefore, blood has red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and blood plasma.
From the total volume of blood, red blood cells account for 45% while the plasma account for about 54.3% and white cells account for about 0.7%. It also has glucose and other dissolved nutrients. The average density of blood is around 1060 kg/m3. Moreover, blood has coagulation factors or elements. The pH of the regular blood is 7.2. An average person has 5 liters of blood.
What are the Similarities Between Menstrual Blood and Regular Blood?
- Menstrual blood and regular blood are biological fluids that are red in colour.
- They contain hemoglobin, red blood cells, white blood cells, iron, proteins, etc.
- Both menstrual blood and regular blood have the same pH.
What is the Difference Between Menstrual Blood and Regular Blood?
Menstrual blood is the fluid discharged during periods. In contrast, regular blood is the fluid flowing in our circulation system. Menstrual blood contains cervical mucus, vaginal secretions, and endometrial tissue, unlike regular blood, which contains red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and blood plasma in high concentration. So, this is the key difference between menstrual blood and regular blood. Moreover, regular blood is highly oxygenated, unlike menstrual blood.
The below infographic tabulates more comparisons related to the difference between menstrual blood and regular blood.
Summary – Menstrual Blood vs Regular Blood
Menstrual blood and regular blood are two types of body fluids. The fluid discharged during menstruation is known as menstrual blood. It is mixed with cervical mucus, vaginal secretions, endometrial tissue, and other waste. Regular blood is the body fluid that circulates via blood vessels. It transports nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide and metabolic wastes. Menstrual blood differs from regular blood in its composition. Menstrual blood contains low concentrations of RBC, WBC, hemoglobin, proteins than regular blood. It also does not have coagulation elements. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between menstrual blood and regular blood.
Reference:
1. “All About Menstrual Blood – Plim, Protections Intimes Lavables”. Plim, Protections Intimes Lavables, 2020, Available here.
2. “Blood | Definition, Composition, & Functions”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2020, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “MenstrualCycle” By Chris 73 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “HD wallpaper: blood cells illustration, red, medical, medicine, anatomy, health” (CC0) via Wallpaper Flare