Blood cell

A blood cell, also called a haematocyte, is a cell produced by haematopoiesis and normally
found in blood. In mammals, these fall into three general categories:

 Red blood cells – Erythrocytes

 White blood cells – Leukocytes
 Platelets – Thrombocytes.
Together, these three kinds of blood cells add up to a total 45% of the blood tissue by volume,
with the remaining 55% of the volume composed of plasma, the liquid component of blood.
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This volume percentage (e.g., 45%) of cells to total volume is called hematocrit, determined
by centrifuge or flow cytometry. Hemoglobin (the main component of red blood cells) is an iron-
containing protein that facilitates transportation of oxygen and otherrespiratory gases to tissues.

Red blood cells (Erythrocytes)

Red blood cells primarily carry oxygen and collect carbon dioxide through the use ofhemoglobin,
and have a lifetime of about 120 days. In the process of being formed they go through being a
monopotent stem cell. They have the job alongside the white blood cells of protecting the
healthy cells.

White blood cells (Leukocytes)

White blood cells are cells of the immune system involved in defending the body against
both infectious disease and foreign materials. Five different and diverse types of leukocytes
exist, but they are all produced and derived from a multipotent cell in the bone marrowknown as
a hematopoietic stem cell. They live for about 3 to 4 days in the average human body.
Leukocytes are found throughout the body, including the blood and lymphatic system.

Platelets (Thrombocytes)
Platelets, or thrombocytes, very small, irregularly shaped clear cell fragments (i.e. cells that do
not have a nucleus containing DNA), 2–3 µm in diameter, which derive from fragmentation of
precursor megakaryocytes. The average lifespan of a platelet is normally just 5 to 9 days.
Platelets are a natural source of growth factors. They circulate in the blood of mammals and are
involved in hemostasis, leading to the formation of blood clots. Platelets release thread-like
fibers to form these clots.

If the number of platelets is too low, excessive bleeding can occur. However, if the number of
platelets is too high, blood clots can form (thrombosis), which may obstruct blood vessels and
result in such events as a stroke, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism—or blockage of
blood vessels to other parts of the body, such as the extremities of the arms or legs. An
abnormality or disease of the platelets is called a thrombocytopathy, which can be either a low
number of platelets (thrombocytopenia), a decrease in function of platelets (thrombasthenia), or
an increase in the number of platelets (thrombocytosis). There are disorders that reduce the
number of platelets, such as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) or thrombotic
thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) that typically cause thromboses, or clots, instead of bleeding.

Platelets release a multitude of growth factors including Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF),
a potent chemotactic agent, and TGF beta, which stimulates the deposition of extracellular
matrix. Both of these growth factors have been shown to play a significant role in the repair and
regeneration of connective tissues. Other healing-associated growth factors produced by
platelets include basic fibroblast growth factor, insulin-like growth factor 1, platelet-derived
epidermal growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor. Local application of these
factors in increased concentrations through Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used as an
adjunct to wound healing for several decades.

Complete blood count

A complete blood count (CBC) is a test panel requested by a doctor or other medical
professional that gives information about the cells in a patient's blood. A scientist or lab
technician performs the requested testing and provides the requesting medical professional with
the results of the CBC. In the past, counting the cells in a patient's blood was performed
manually, by viewing a slide prepared with a sample of the patient's blood under a microscope.
Today, this process is generally automated by use of an automated analyzer, with only
approximately 10-20% of samples now being examined manually. Abnormally high or low
counts may indicate the presence of many forms of disease, and hence blood counts are
amongst the most commonly performed blood tests in medicine, as they can provide an
overview of a patient's general health status.

Discovery
In 1658 Dutch naturalist Jan Swammerdam was the first person to observe red blood cells
under a microscope and in 1695,microscopist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, also Dutch, was the
first to draw an illustration of "red corpuscles", as they were called. No further blood cells were
discovered until 1842 when French physician Alfred Donné discovered platelets. The following
year leukocytes were first observed by Gabriel Andral, a French professor of medicine,
and William Addison, a British physician, simultaneously. Both men believed that both red and
white cells were altered in disease. With these discoveries, hematology, a new field of medicine,
was established. Even though agents for staining tissues and cells were available, almost no
advances were made in knowledge about the morphology of blood cells until 1879, when Paul
Ehrlich published his technique for staining blood films and his method for differential blood cell
counting