WBC Who’s Who
These are the most abundant white blood cells, making up about 60% of a sample and acting as active phagocytes found in pus.
What are Neutrophils?
This is the scientific name for platelets, which help initiate blood clots and close breaks in damaged vessels.
What are Thrombocytes?
This condition, often called "the kissing disease," is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus and results in an increase in lymphocytes.
What is Infectious Mononucleosis (Mono)?
This common blood test is performed to determine the number and types of different blood cells in a patient's sample.
What is a Complete Blood Count (CBC)?
White blood cells are generally larger than red blood cells and are categorized into these two main groups based on their cytoplasm.
What are Granulocytes and Agranulocytes?
This is a large cell with a horseshoe-shaped nucleus that can become a macrophage.
What is a Monocyte?
This vasoconstrictor is released during a blood vessel spasm to help shrink the vessel and reduce blood loss.
What is Serotonin?
This virus weakens the immune system specifically by infecting and destroying CD4 T-cells.
What is HIV?
Liquid blood plasma is composed of approximately this percentage of water.
What is 92%?
These cells, which are derived from monocytes, "consume" pathogens and then signal the rest of the immune system.
What are Dendritic cells (or Macrophages)?
These specific white blood cells are the main defense of the immune system and are responsible for producing antibodies.
What are Lymphocytes?
This process, which means the "stopping of bleeding," involves three key events: vessel spasm, plug formation, and coagulation.
What is Hemostasis?
This is the name for an abnormal blood clot that remains in a blood vessel.
What is a Thrombus?
Newborns are often given an injection of this to prevent a dangerous "deficiency bleeding" disorder.
What is Vitamin K?
This specific symptom of Leukemia involves purplish patches or spots appearing on the skin.
What are Purplish patches/spots (Skin involvement)?
An elevated number of these granulocytes, which usually make up only 2-4% of WBCs, may indicate a parasitic infection.
What are Eosinophils?
This enzyme found in blood plasma is responsible for converting fibrinogen into fibrin to form a clot.
What is Thrombin?
When a blood clot moves from its original site to another place, such as the lungs or brain, it is called by this name.
What is an Embolus?
This plasma protein is specifically responsible for maintaining blood pressure.
What is Albumin?
In the bone marrow, blood stem cells can differentiate into these three main formed elements.
What are Red blood cells, White blood cells, and Platelets?
This cell type produces heparin to thin the blood and histamines to cause inflammatory reactions like swelling.
What are Basophils?
This net-like substance forms over a platelet plug to reinforce it, eventually creating a scab.
What is Fibrin?
This cancer affects plasma cells in the bone marrow, causing them to crowd out healthy cells and produce abnormal antibodies.
What is Multiple Myeloma?
The average adult has about this many pints of blood in their body.
What is 10 pints (or 5 liters)?
This is the specific term for a blood clot that travels to and lodges in the lungs.
What is a Pulmonary Embolism?