Textbook in PDF format This handbook provides a comprehensive reference on how blood behaves as an optical medium and how its optical properties can be measured, interpreted, and applied in research, diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy. It is intended for readers who need a structured understanding of blood not only as a physiological fluid, but also as a material whose interaction with light is shaped by cellular composition, oxygenation state, aggregation, flow, and pathology. The volume is designed to serve researchers in biophotonics and biomedical optics, engineers developing optical instruments, and clinicians interested in translational applications. Key Features: The first book dedicated to the optics of blood. Provides comprehensive information linking physiology/morphology of blood with its optical properties. Includes a description of the very first complex analytical model connecting optical and physiological/morphological properties of blood. Provides over 150 illustrations and 10 summarizing tables to visualize the optical properties of blood and related applications. Includes software, video, and animation of optical properties of blood