Blood is an example of a colloidal mixture.

(A) What would happen if blood behaved like a true suspension inside the body?

(B) In a blood sample, identify the dispersed phase and the dispersion medium.

(A) If blood behaved like a true suspension inside the body, its components such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets would not remain uniformly distributed in plasma. They would tend to settle when the flow becomes slow, causing uneven distribution of blood components and possible blockage of small blood vessels. This would disturb the smooth flow of blood and affect the transport of oxygen, nutrients, hormones and wastes to different parts of the body. As a result, normal body functioning would be severely affected and could become life-threatening.

(B) In a blood sample, the dispersed phase consists of the formed components, such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The dispersion medium is plasma, the liquid part of blood in which these components remain suspended.