Why Are Veins Blue If Blood Is Red?

There is a common misconception among kids that blood, as it courses through our veins on its return trip back to the heart, is blue.

When you look at your arms you see blue veins, but this is a trick of light, or rather a problem with wavelengths. According to Live Science, the blue waves of light are not absorbed by your skin, unlike red light waves, so blue is the color you see because it bounces back.

So what does happen to your blood as it moves about your body? Learn the details by reading more.

Blood is pumped into your lungs by the heart to be replenished with oxygen, and then the bright red blood is pumped to all parts of your body through arteries and eventually into tiny capillaries. It is here that the blood provides oxygen to your body's tissue. Rather than turning blue, the oxygen-depleted blood hits your veins in a dark red hue. Another capillary fact to chew on: your lips are red because they are full of capillaries.