White Blood Cells (WBC's):
The white blood cell (leukocyte) make up less than .1% of the formed elements in plasma. Unlike the red blood cell, they do have a nuclei and organelle. But they lack hemoglobin, hence they are white. Their main function is to defend the body when sick, remove toxins, wastes, and old damaged, useless cells. They do not always stay in the blood stream, they can fit through spaces between blood vessels, they move in an amoeba like way, and they are attracted to chemical stimuli mainly damaged tissues. They can be phagocytes by removing damaged red blood cells. White blood cells can be formed in myeloid, or lymphoid stem cells, they are also made in bone marrow.
White blood cells can be divided into two categories:
Granular; (Granules can be seen under a microscope)
Neutrophils: Their cytoplasm stains pale pink.are the most abundant, phagocyte, and they fight short term infections.
Eosinophils: Cytoplasm is red with many granules, they have a kidney or 8 shaped nucleus. These kill parasitic worms.
Basophils: Their cytoplasm stains a dark blue, they have a U or S shaped nucleus. They have large purple granules.
Agranular; (Granules cannot be seen under a microscope)
Lymphocytes: Cytoplasm stains a pale blue, they have a very large nucleus, whole cell is a bit bigger than a red blood cell, they have B-lymphocytes that produce antibodies, and T-lymphocytes that fight viruses and tumors.
Monocytes: Cytoplasm also stains a pale blue, their nucleus is kidney shaped, they are phagocytes, the fight long- term, chonic disease. They have very large cells.
http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/501639-31521-18.jpg
White blood cells can be divided into two categories:
Granular; (Granules can be seen under a microscope)
Neutrophils: Their cytoplasm stains pale pink.are the most abundant, phagocyte, and they fight short term infections.
Eosinophils: Cytoplasm is red with many granules, they have a kidney or 8 shaped nucleus. These kill parasitic worms.
Basophils: Their cytoplasm stains a dark blue, they have a U or S shaped nucleus. They have large purple granules.
Agranular; (Granules cannot be seen under a microscope)
Lymphocytes: Cytoplasm stains a pale blue, they have a very large nucleus, whole cell is a bit bigger than a red blood cell, they have B-lymphocytes that produce antibodies, and T-lymphocytes that fight viruses and tumors.
Monocytes: Cytoplasm also stains a pale blue, their nucleus is kidney shaped, they are phagocytes, the fight long- term, chonic disease. They have very large cells.
http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/501639-31521-18.jpg