A. UNDERSTANDING THE DEFINITION OF
LEUKOCYTES (WHITE BLOOD CELL)
White blood cells, or in medical terms is called
leukocytes is a blood-forming component other than red blood cells and
platelets. White blood cells have a nucleus, but does not have a definite shape
or fixed cells and does not have a color.
The number of white blood cells in every millimeter
of human blood is approximately 6000-8000 cells. White blood cells act as
agents to fight infectious that enter the body. White blood cells is form in
the bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes. All of the white blood cells have a
life span about 6-8 days.
In the body, white blood cells do not gather or
associated with organ or other cells, however, they work independently like a
single cell organism. Leukocytes are able to move freely to capture mobile
microorganisms, and foreign particles that infiltrate into the body to cause
disease. White blood cells can not reproduce on their own, but these cells are
the products of pluripotent hematopoetic stem cells (early cells for the
formation of white blood cells).
B. THE FUNCTIONS OF LEUKOCYTES
- Serves as main component of the body's immune system
- Protect from disease-causing microorganisms, carried by the cells of granulocytes and monocytes
- Have enzymes that break down proteins that harm the body by binding and issued it.
- As a carrier substance that derived fats from the intestinal wall through the spleen into the blood vessel
C. TYPES OF LEUKOCYTES (WHITE BLOOD
CELLS)
White blood cells according to the shape on their
surface is divided into two groups, polymorphonuclear cells (granulated) and
mononuclear cells (not granulated). Both groups are divided into several
forms,:
1.
polymorphonuclear cells
- Basophils
- Eosinophils
- Neutrophils
2. Mononuclear
Cells
- Lymphocytes
- Monocytes
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| LEUKOCYTES (WHITE BLOOD CELLS) |
Here is a detailed explanation of the types of red
blood cells which have been mentioned above,:
1. Basophils
Basophils are types of white blood cells that have
the percentage 0.01-0.03% of the total number of white blood cell types. As
mentioned above, basophils have granules in their cytoplasm. The white blood
cells of this type has two lobes. Basophil itself is one of a group of
granulocytes to emerge towards certain body tissues.
Basophil works when there is event of an allergic
reaction in our body. So with these allergic reactions, basophil going out and
capture the allergen and secrete histamine. Histamine will cause the blood
vessels dilate (bigger). The more allergen that enters the body, the more
number of basophil working against him. The characteristics of basophil cells are:
- Has phagocytes Properties
- Between 12-15 micrometers in diameter
- Having a number of 0.01-0.03% per millimeter of blood
- Having a large granule
- Formed in the bone marrow
- U-shaped and speckled
- Blue in color
- Had a core that is not segmented
2. Eosinophils
Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that has
the amount of 7% of the total white blood cell. These cells have a diameter of 10-12 micrometers. These cells
will be increased in the event of reaction associated with asthma, allergies,
and fever.
Eosinophils have a duty to combat the reactions from
the allergen within 8-12 days. Eosinophils have chemical substances, such as
ribonuclease, histamine lipase, and others. The characteristics of eosinophil are:
- Are phagocytes and also acidic
- Has a core with two lobes
- Red in color
- The core is in the middle of the cell
- Having a rough and dense granules
- Having a life span of between 8-12 days
- It looked like a ball and its size is about 9 mm
- Formed in the bone marrow
3. Neutrophils
Neutrophil white blood cell types are cells that have
the percentage of 50-60% in the blood. Neutrophils have three nucleus. These
cells act as a first barrier (defense) in response to allergic reactions in the
body. Neutrophil is a phagocytic cells so can they fight the problem using
various chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, free radicals, and hypochlorite.
Neutrophils also play a role in the inflammatory process, and will increase if
the more inflammatory agent are involved. The characteristics possessed by
neutrophil cells are:
- Having 3 nucleus
- Has a size of approximately 8 mm
- Having a life time between 6-20 hours
- Properties phagocytes
- Neutrophil production output amounted to 100 billion cells per day
4. Lymphocytes
Types of white blood cells called lymphocytes has
overall amount of 20-25% of the total of all types of white blood cells in the
blood. The body produces lymphocytes in the bone marrow and spleen. This type
is divided into large and small lymphocytes. The difference between the two is,
small lymphocytes have a darker core that almost filled the entire cytoplasm,
whereas in large lymphocytes, essentially pale and have a smaller size and does
not fill all the cytoplasm.
There are approximately 8000 lmphocytes cells in the
white blood cells. If an increase in the levels of lymphocyte count, it
indicates the occurrence of a process called leukemia. There are 5 types of
lymphocytes, the B lymphocytes, T helper cells, Cytotoxic T cells, memory T
cells, and suppressor T cells. The characteristics of lymphocytes are:
- Not having granules in the cytoplasm and size vary from small to large
- Dark colored core surrounded by a narrow cytoplasmic ring
- Age range from days to several months
- If the body is exposed by pathogen, the B lymphocyte cells will form plasma cells in the tissues
5. Monocytes
Monocytes are the largest leukocytes that dont have
granules. Their shape varies, round or oval ,grooved or shape of a horseshoe.
monocytes Color are paler than the lymphocytes core. Monocytes form the
approximately 3-8% of leukocytes in the blood.
The mechanism to fight the foreign objects made by
monocytes is to eat it, despite its larger size. Monocytes will turn into
macrophages inside certain tissue for a mechanism of resistance. The
characteristics of monocytes are:
- The agranular leukocytes characterized by a horseshoe-shaped nucleus
- Life in the connective tissue for months
- There are 3-8% monocytes of leukocytes in the blood
- Have a peanuts-like shape
D. HOW DOES LEUKOCYTES WORKS (WHITE BLOOD
CELL)
At the time of foreign substances or microorganisms
that can harm the body entering our body, chemical signals will tell monocytes,
so the monocytes will immediately move out of the blood vessels to where the
attack occurred. Monocytes will fight foreign substances so that monocytes
secrete substances called cylocsin awaken the body's fever.
Monocytes can not work alone, but monocytes assisted
by neutrophils. Resistance conducted by neutrophils, monocytes and neutrophils
often cause death of neutrophils. However, neutrophils sacrifice will not be in
vain, because when they die, it will form pus as a mechanism for inhibiting the
onset of subsequent infection.
After that, the monocytes had killed a foreign
substance will carries this foreign substance into lymphocytes. Lymphocyte
function to record what kinds of germs are killed by monocytes and then establish
a defense system (antibodies) against the substance, so that when the
substances back into the body in the future, it would be easy to resist.
Lymphocytes has two different types of cells that responsible
for this job. The first is as a specialist agency B cells that release
antibodies to detect the presence of bacteria that have been recorded, and will
be fighting in the distance. While the T cells would maintain or oversee the
antibody and keep them at the surface of the cell.
E. THE DAMAGE LEUKOCYTES (WHITE BLOOD
CELLS)
Levels of white blood cells in the human body is
different, but in general, there are normal levels of white blood cells present
in the body of a healthy person, that is 4000 per microliter of blood. Circumstances
that lead to low white blood cells is called leukopenia, while high white blood
cells is called leukocytosis.
Causes that can cause of the decreasing levels of
white blood cells in the body of a healthy person are:
- A viral infection that affects the bone marrow
- Congenital disorder that affects the bone marrow
- Cancer that affects the bone marrow
- Drugs that work by suppressing the levels of white blood cells in the blood
- Severe infection that cause the death of white blood cells faster than usual.
- Diseases that cause low white blood cells such as HIV / AIDS, chemotherapy, leukemia, lupus, myelodysplasia syndromes, aplastic anemia, certain drugs such as antibiotics, diuretics, hiperslenisme, Kostmann syndrome, radiation therapy, and vitamin deficiencies.
While high levels of white blood cells circulating in
the blood may be caused by:
- Infections that can increase the production of white blood cells
- Abnormal function of the bone marrow resulting in higher production of white blood cells
- Reactions to certain drugs
- Some disease that can cause high white blood cell in the blood such as leukemia limpotik acute or chronic, acute myeloid leukemia or chronic, drugs such as epinephrine, bacterial or viral infections, Myelofibrosis, a severe allergic reaction, stress, tuberculosis, whooping cough, and smoking.
