Blood cells include erythrocytes (red blood cells), leukocytes (white blood cells), and platelets (thrombocytes)
Staining methods for blood cells include Romanovsky mixed dyes, Giemsa’s, Leishman’s, and Wright’s dyes
Erythrocytes lack organelles but are filled with hemoglobin, maintaining their shape with membrane proteins
Anemia is a decrease in erythrocyte concentration, while erythrocytosis is an increase, often related to physiological conditions
Erythrocytes have different sizes: macrocytes (>9 µm), microcytes (<6 µm), and anisocytosis refers to cells varying greatly in size
Erythrocytes form reversible combinations with respiratory gases like oxyhemoglobin and carbaminohemoglobin
Sickle cell disease results from a mutation in the gene encoding the β-globin chain of hemoglobin A, causing inflexible, viscous erythrocytes
Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cell, produced in the bone marrow and released into the bloodstream to fight infection
Neutrophils contain granules with antimicrobial peptides and proteins, enzymes, and chemicals like histamine to kill bacteria
Neutrophils have a short lifespan of 6-7 hours in the blood and 1-4 days in connective tissue
Eosinophils are white blood cells associated with allergic reactions, parasitic infections, and chronic inflammation
Eosinophils contain specific granules with histaminase, collagenase, and azurophilic granules with hydrolytic enzymes
Eosinophils play a major role in host defense against helminthic parasites and are found in large numbers in allergic conditions
Basophils are white blood cells with large granules that stain with basic dyes, containing substances like histamine and leukotrienes
Basophils are less than 1% of blood leukocytes and have granules similar to mast cells
Lymphocytes are the second most numerous white cells in the blood, increasing in response to viral infections and playing a crucial role in the immune response
Platelets are non-nucleated, disc-like cell fragments 2-4 µm in diameter, originating from giant polyploid megakaryocytes in the bone marrow
Platelets promote blood clotting and help repair minor tears or leaks in small blood vessels, preventing blood loss from the microvasculature