Individuals who want to donate whole blood or apheresis must be : At least 16 years old (donors under the age of 17 may only donate whole blood, and must have a signed parental/guardian consent form). At least 19 years old and weigh a minimum of 110 pounds.
Your heart handles blood in much the same way. The heart pumps about 2,000 gallons (7,571 liters) of blood a day through its chambers. Of Â­course, we're not big enough to hold that much liquid, so it just pumps the same blood over and over, and it doesn't benefit from a drop of it. At least, not initially.
The heart pumps blood through the network of arteries and veins called the cardiovascular system. The heart has four chambers: 1  The right atrium receives blood from the veins and pumps it to the right ventricle. 2  The right ventricle receives blood from the right atrium and pumps it to the lungs, where it is loaded with oxygen. 3  The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it to the left ventricle.