what type of tissue is blood

Blood is a specialized form of fluid connective tissue. As a connective tissue, it consists of cells and cell fragments suspended in an intercellular matrix called plasma. Blood is the only liquid tissue in the body and accounts for about 8% of the body weight. Blood cells are formed in the bone marrow, and there are two main types of cells found in circulating blood: enucleated erythrocytes or red blood cells and nucleated leukocytes or white blood cells. Red blood cells are small cells lacking a nucleus, while white blood cells are larger and have a nucleus. Platelets are also found in blood and are fragments of cytoplasm detached from megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. The functions of blood include transportation, regulation, and protection.