血液
けつえき · ketsueki · JLPT N3 · noun
blood
🩸 血液 = blood (血 ketsu) + fluid (液 eki): the blood fluid
血 alone is read ち (chi) and means blood. 液 (eki) means liquid, as in 液体 (ekitai, liquid). Together they form the formal, medical word for blood, the one used in blood tests (血液検査).
血 — drop 丿 over dish 皿
Originally a pictograph of a sacrificial vessel (皿) with a drop of blood inside, marking the offering of blood in ancient rituals. The small stroke on top represents the blood itself. Over time it broadened from ritual blood to blood in general.