8 Types of Blood Cells | Their

Normal Count and Functions in

Human Body
Blood is vital substance in the human body.

It is a type of liquid tissue which helps to spread substances from one place to
another in the body.

It is mainly composed of water, blood cells and other elements

and substances.

It has many functions in the body and some of these functions are carried out
by blood cells.

But unlike normal body cells, blood cells are quite different in being isolated
(not packed to form a tissue, free moving).

Blood cells perform many functions and almost all the components are
involved in some or other individual function.

The blood cells are formed by different tissues like bone marrow, lymph
glands etc.

Types of Blood cells

They are broadly of 3 types of blood cells like

1. Red blood cells (R.B.C) / Red blood corposcules

2. White blood cells

3. Platelets/ thrombocytes
Red blood cells: These are cells responsible for reddish color of the blood.
They are very high in concentration to other blood cells. There are
approximately 5 million cells per micro-liter in males and 4.5
millions in females. These cells re devoid of nucleus, mitochondria and
other cell organelles so termed as corpuscles.

As seen in pic, they are red in color with biconcave shape. They have a
pigment called as hemoglobin which is a complex of Heme (+iron) and
globin= a porphyrin protein. This pigment is responsible for their red color
and for their oxygen carrying capacity. Thus R.B.C are involved in transport
of oxygen from lungs to the tissues. When the blood reaches the lungs, these
RBC’s take up oxygen from air. When they reach tissues by blood flow, there
they give away oxygen due to concentration gradient. The CO2 from tissues is
dissolved in the water content of the blood and expelled from lungs. Thus
RBC vital function is to carry oxygen in the body to each and every tissue.

When the RBC’s are low or hemoglobin inside is low, it results in anemia.

They are formed in the red bone marrow of long bones in the body. Their life
span is 120 days. After the lifespan, they are destroyed in the liver and spleen
by reticulo endothelium.

White blood cells:

These are the cells which white in color and hence also called as leukocytes.
They are about 4.5 to 10.5 x 10³ cell per micro-liter of blood. These
cells unlike RBC’s have prominent nucleus and other cell organelles. There
are 6 types of white blood cells like polymorphonuclear neutrophils,
polymorphonuclear eosinophils, polymorphonuclear basophils, monocytes,
lymphocytes, and few plasma cells. The first 3 types
are categorized as granulocytes and the next as agranulocytes.

Granulocyte type of leukocytes viz. as basophils, acidophils, neutrophils are

named because of their nature to get stained by basic, acidic and neutral
dyes respectively view under a microscope. They have nucleus which of
different shapes hence ploymorpho. Further under microscope there appear
some granules in the cell body. Hence the name granulocytes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-sKZWqsUpw

Agranulocytes include lymphocytes and monocytes. These agranulocytes have

cell body which are non granular in appearance hence the name non-granular
or A+ granular.

Granulocytes and monocytes are involved in body defense against foreign

substance or organisms like bacteria inside the body by engulfing them i.e by
phagocytosis. They are mainly involved in defense of the body from
pathogens and injury.
They defense is by two types. i.e production of antibodies to neutralize the
pathogenic antigen and the other form is engulfment of the pathogen. These
cells are deprived in number in condition like infection. Further in case of
infection they are concentrated at site of injury or inflammation to assist
faster repair of body tissue.

Lymphocytes are involved in immune component of the body immunity

against the disease.

Their concentration ranges around 7000 cells/micro-liter of blood. Their

decline indicates infection or pathological condition. Their rise in number is
also seen in infection or in the region of body infected. Their abnormal rise in
number is a condition of leucocythemia is i.e blood cancer.

Their life span is few hours like 4-5 hours in circulation and 5 days in body
region of infection or repair.

Their normal count is

Neutrophils count is 2-7.5 x 103

Basophils Count is 0-0.2x 103/mcl

Eosinophils count is 0.1-0.5 x10³/mcl

Lymphocytes count is 1.5-4 x 10³/mcl

Monocytes count is 0.2-1 x 10³/mcl

Check out more details on type of white blood cells.

Platelets/ thrombocytes: They are spindle shaped cells in the blood. They
are approximately 150 to 450 x 10³ per micro-liter of blood. They have
clotting factors in them and also serotonin. Hence they are involved in
formation of blood clot.
RBC, platelet and then WBC : image by wikicommons

Their decline in blood is called thrombocyotpenia. This can leads to bleeding

disorders namely hemophilia etc. Their increase is seen in inflammatory
diseases, while their decline is seen in diseases like dengue.

Besides the above differences, there is difference in blood groups and rho
factor. You may read about negative blood groups for more.