Is "Blood in your veins is blue" still taught in school?

Human blood is always red. Deoxygenated blood is dark red, not blue. Veins can look blue through skin because of how light scatters in tissue, not because the blood itself changes color.

What you were taught

Blood in your veins is blue

What we know now

Human blood is always red. Deoxygenated blood is dark red, not blue. Veins can look blue through skin because of how light scatters in tissue, not because the blood itself changes color.

Updated understanding emerged around 1980

Common questions

Was "Blood in your veins is blue" taught in school?
Yes. This science idea was commonly taught, especially during the 1970s.
Is "Blood in your veins is blue" true?
No. Human blood is always red.
When was this understanding updated?
Updated understanding emerged around 1980.

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Data compiled from scientific literature and educational research