As I got on the bus at the commuter lot, I was handed a flier that said “I heart BD.” I applaud the organizers for placing someone out there to pass out fliers. Who can resist taking the flier when it’s handed to you while getting on the bus?

I had a general idea that it was good to give blood, but I was not aware of its profound importance until I did a little research on the Red Cross Web site.

Blood is important because it carries oxygen and a plethora of other important things throughout your body. Produced in bone marrow — the gooey center part of bones — it has four intrinsic parts: red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets.

The red blood cells are the respiratory part of the blood, carrying oxygen from your lungs out to the rest of your body and then bringing carbon dioxide back to be exhaled. They carry iron (aka hemoglobin), which bonds with oxygen, and are typically replaced every four months. White blood cells facilitate the immune system with three different types to fend off weird bacteria and toxins in the blood stream and last for varying amounts of time.

Then we have plasma, the friend of college students around the globe, which is given away at $25 a pint, providing funding for everything from odor eaters in shoes to concerts featuring MC Hammer. Plasma is the most liquid agent of blood that carries the blood cells through veins and capillaries. The dull yellow liquid also consists of hormones, vitamins and minerals.

Platelets are named for their funky shape — they resemble two attached plates when they are chillin’ in the bloodstream. Like a knight in shining armor rescuing his damsel in distress from the dragon, the platelets draw their swords of protein tentacles to clot the blood, saving the damsel from the bacteria of the outside world by forming a blood clot.

You have about 10 units of blood in your body. The blood drive will take only one unit from you to help provide life to any number of people. Someone receiving a liver transplant requires about 10 units of red blood cells, 10 units of platelets, and 20 units of plasma. A cancer patient receiving treatment requires up to six units of red blood cells and eight units of platelets on a daily basis for up to four weeks.

The National Blood Data Resource Center reported in 2001 that 4.9 million hospital patients received 14 million units of whole blood and red blood cells. Every day, U.S. hospitals require about 38,000 units of blood, and the estimated need increases at the rate of 6 percent per year.

Each unit of blood donated can help up to three people. In our current time of war, blood is at an even higher demand.

Today is the last day of the fall blood drive. You can go give blood from 8 a.m. through 2 p.m. at the Memorial Union. The fashionable green armband can be yours free if you simply go and donate your blood. Thanks to all of the people who worked to put together the annual fall blood drive and all of the people who have donated blood this week.

Head on over to the Memorial Union and get your cool green armband today and you might just find yourself with some delicious cookies as well! Join the nearly 8 million annual blood donors and give part of yourself to help provide life to someone else.