White Blood Cells

In the immune system there are multiple functions happening to stop an infection or bacteria from taking over and getting the body sick. One of the most important features of this defense or system is the white blood cells. The White Blood Cells work to fight off any infection there is and have a memory function that remembers the disease to keep it away. A leukocyte, which is the formal name for white blood cells, protects the body in various ways from getting sick. The red bone marrow’s stem cells, which are called hemocytoblasts, are the source of creation for almost all of the white blood cells. Five types of white blood are carried through the blood to the sites of infection in order to ensure fast travel to the infected site. These different types of white blood cells are grouped by cytoplasmic contents into two groups, the granulocytes and the agranulocytes. The granulocytes are about the size of a normal red blood cell and only live about 12 hours. These are formed and developed in the red marrow of the bones. There are three different specific types of granulocytes and they are the neutrophils, the eosinophils, and the basophils. The neutrophils are the most common white blood cell in the body. They are one of the first cells to arrive at an infection site to ingest bacteria, virus particles, fungi, or protozoa. The nuclei of the neutrophil only have around two to five lobes and the cytoplasmic granules are usually very fine and too hard to see and observe. The eosinophils are one of the smallest types of white blood cells in the body. The nuclei of this are bilobed and it has uniform-sized cytoplasmic granules. This type of white blood cell moderates allergic reactions, and they defend against parasitic worm infestations and infections. The basophils comprise less than one percent of the white blood cell population and are smaller than any other granulocyte. These are also the easiest to identify because of the numerous granules