White blood cells

 The function of white blood cells

  White blood cells are part of your immune system that protects your body from infection.  These cells circulate through your blood and tissues to respond to injury or disease by invading an unknown organism that enters your body.

  Care of functional anatomy conditions and disorders

  Overview

  What are white blood cells?

  White blood cells, also called leukocytes, are responsible for protecting your body from infection.  As part of your immune system, white blood cells circulate in your bloodstream and respond to injury or disease.

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  Function

  What do White Blood Cells Do?

  White blood cells protect your body from infection.  As your white blood cells pass through your bloodstream and tissues, they detect the site of infection and act as an army general to protect your body from the attack of an unknown organism.  Inform other white blood cells in their location for help.  Once your white blood cell army arrives, they fight off the invader by making antibody proteins to attach to and destroy the organism.

  Anatomy

  Where are the white blood cells located?

  Your white blood cells are in your bloodstream and travel through the walls and tissues of the blood vessels to detect the site of infection.

  What do white blood cells look like?

  Contrary to their name, white blood cells are colorless, but when examined under a microscope and colored, they can appear as very light purple to pink.  These tiny cells are round in shape with a distinct nucleus.

  How Large Are White Blood Cells?

  You can only see the white blood cells under the microscope, because they are so small.

  How many white blood cells are in my body?

  White blood cells make up 1% of your blood.  There are more red blood cells in your body than white blood cells.

  How are white blood cells formed?

  White blood cells are formed in the soft tissues inside your bone marrow.  Two types of white blood cells (lymphocytes) grow in the thymus gland (T cell) and lymph nodes and spleen (B cell).

  What are white blood cells made of?

  White blood cells come from the cells that take shape in the soft tissues of your bones (bone marrow) and other cells in the body (stem cells).

  What are the types of white blood cells?

  There are five types of white blood cells:

  Neutrophils: Help protect your body from infection by killing bacteria, fungi and foreign debris.

  Lymphocytes: Contain T cells, natural killer cells and B cells to fight off viral infections and make proteins to help you fight infection (antibodies).

  Eosinophils: Identify and destroy parasites, cancer cells and help basophils in your allergic reaction.

  Basophils: Causes allergic reactions such as coughing, sneezing or runny nose.

  Monocytes: Clean damaged cells and protect against infection.

  Conditions and disorders

  What are the common conditions and disorders that affect white blood cells?

  If you have low levels of white blood cells, you are more likely to have an infection (leukopenia).  If your white blood cell count is too high (leukocytosis), you may have an infection or an underlying medical condition such as leukemia, lymphoma or an immune condition.

  What are the common signs or symptoms of white blood cell conditions?

  Symptoms of white blood cell conditions, where your number may be too high or too low, include:

  Fever, body aches and chills.

  A wound that is red, swollen, purulent or does not heal.

  Recurrent infections.

  Persistent cough or difficulty breathing.

  What is a normal white blood cell count?

  It is normal for you to produce about 100 billion white blood cells every day.  After completing the blood draw, a test counts your white blood cells, which is equal to the number of cells per microliter of blood.  The average white blood cell count is between 4,000 and 11,000 cells per microliter.

  What are the common tests to check the number of white blood cells?

  A complete blood count (CBC) test identifies information about the cells in your blood.  A lab completes the test when a medical professional draws your blood and examines your white and red blood cell count.

  A white blood cell scan is a test to detect an infection or abscess in your body's soft tissues.  This test involves drawing your blood, separating the white blood cells from the sample, tagging them with a radioactive isotope, bringing the white blood cells back into your body, then the imaging test will identify the areas that you have.  Indicates infection or abscess on the body.

  What causes low white blood cell counts?

  Causes of low white blood cell count include:

  Bone marrow failure (aplastic anemia).

  Bone marrow is attacked by cancer cells (leukemia).

  Drug exposure (chemotherapy).

  Vitamin deficiency (B12).

  HIV / AIDS

  A blood test with less than 4,000 cells per micrometer of blood diagnoses low white blood cells.

  What causes a large number of white blood cells?

  Causes of high white blood cell count include:

  Autoimmune disorders (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis).

  Viral infections (tuberculosis, mononucleosis).

  Bacterial infections (sepsis).

  Physical injury or stress.

  Leukemia or Hudkins' disease.

  Allergies

  A blood test with more than 11,000 blood cells diagnoses more white blood cells.

  What are the common treatments for white blood cell disorders?

  Treatment of white blood cell disorders varies depending on the diagnosis and severity of the condition.  From the limits of treatment:

  Take vitamins.

  Taking antibiotics.

  Surgery to replace or repair the bone marrow.

  Blood transfusion

  Stem cell transplant.

  take care of

  How do I take care of my white blood cells?

  You can take care of your white blood cells:

  Practicing good hygiene to prevent infection.

  Use vitamins to boost your immune system.

  Treatment of medical conditions where the breakdown of white blood cells is a side effect.

  A note from the Cleveland Clinic

  White blood cells are your first line of defense against injury or disease.  Keep your white blood cells healthy by taking vitamins to boost your immune system and practicing good hygiene to prevent infections.  If you experience symptoms such as fever and chills, recurrent infections, persistent cough or difficulty breathing, contact your healthcare provider to check if your white blood cell count is low.  Is trivial