Leukocytes or White Blood Cells (WBC):

A type of blood cell that is made in the bone marrow

and found in the blood and lymph tissue.
White blood cells are transparent, nucleated,
amoeboid and granular or agranular, irregular shaped
blood. These are also known as mobile defensive
units of the body.
White blood cells are part of the body’s immune
system.
The production of WBC is called leucopoiesis.
Leucopoiesis is a form of hematopoiesis.
Hematopoiesis is the formation of blood cellular
components. All cellular blood components are
derived from hematopoietic stem cells. All white
blood cells are produced and derived from
hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow.
They are comparatively
larger than RBC. Their
cytoplasm contain various
shape of nucleus. The ratio
of RBC to WBC is about
600: 1. They make up
approximately 1% of the
total blood volume in a
healthy adult.
An increase in
the number of
leukocytes
over the upper
limits is called
leukocytosis.
A decrease
below the
lower limit is
called
leukopenia.
And Leukemia is a
cancer of the blood
cells that affects
our bone marrow,
which makes blood.
During leukemia
the number of
WBCs increases
abnormally at the
cost of the number
RBCs usually
resulting in death.
Some leukocytes migrate into the tissues of
the body to take up a permanent residence
at that location rather than remaining in the
blood. Kupffer cells in the liver are such
type of cells that serve a role in the immune
system.
Types of leukocytes:
Leukocytes are mainly of two types:
1. Granular leukocytes or granulocytes
2. Agranular leukocytes or agranulocytes
Granular leukocytes or granulocytes: Granulocytes possess granules in
cytoplasm, lobed nucleus in each.
On the basis of the nucleus, granulocytes are three types:
Neutrophil: Neutrophils are
the most abundant white
blood cell, constituting 60-
70 % of the WBC. They
number 3000 to 6000 per
cubic mm. multilobed
nucleus. Their life span is
12 hours to 3 days. They
defend against bacterial
and fungal infection.
Eosinophil: 2-4% of
the WBC total. The
nucleus is 2 to 3
lobed. They number
100 to 400 per cubic
mm. Their life span
is 3 to 5 days.
Basophil: basophils are the
rarest of the white blood cells
and less than 0.5 % of the total
count of WBC. Lobed nucleus.
They number 25 to 200 per
cubic mm. Their life span is 9 to
18 months.
They excrete two chemicals that
aid in the body’s defenses:
histamine and heparin.
 Histamine promotes blood flow
to tissues. Heparin prevents
blood from clotting too quickly. 
 
Agranular leukocytes or agranulocytes: They usually
contain clear cytoplasm and a nucleus which is not lobed.
They are of two types based on their origin:
Monocytes: they are
produced in the bone
marrow. They have a large
kidney shaped nucleus.
They number 100 to 700
per cubic mm.their life
span is 10 to 12 hours.
They function as tissue
macrophages feeding on
damaged tissues.
Lymphocytes: They are
produced in the lymph
system. Their nucleus is
large and occupies most of
the cell. They form about
25% of total WBC. They
have a life span of 100-
200days.
Their functions are
phagocytosis and antibody
production.
Lymphocytes can be further classified as T cells, B cells and natural killer cells.
T cell: A type of white blood cell. T cells are part of the
immune system and develop from stem cells in the bone
marrow. They help protect the body from infection and may
help fight cancer. Also called T lymphocyte and thymocyte.
NK cell (Natural Killer
cells): NK cells are a
type of cytotoxic
lymphocyte critical to
the innate immune
system.NK cells
provide rapid
responses to viral
infected cells, acting
at around 3 days after
infection, and
respond to tumor
formation.