Article: Newsday, Melville, N.Y., How Come? column.

Byline: Kathy Wollard

Jul. 3--What causes the different colors in a bruise? asks A. Mineev of Moscow. Bump your leg against the edge of a coffee table, and tiny injured capillaries spring leaks and spurt blood underneath the skin. You may notice only a red mark at the time. But the next morning, there it is: a skin injury in Technicolor, the angry purple, red and blue destined to change over days to a sickly green and yellow. The more blood that leaks before the body's clotting mechanisms can intervene, the bigger (and darker) the bruise. And it's not your imagination: A bruise can actually be much bigger than the original injury, thanks to gravity's effect ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!