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blood cell

 
Dictionary: blood cell

n.
Any of the cells contained in blood; an erythrocyte or leukocyte; a blood corpuscle.


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Food and Nutrition: blood cells
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Three main types of cell are present in blood: erythrocytes or red cells, leucocytes or white cells, and platelets. Red blood cells contain the protein haemoglobin, which is responsible for the transport of oxygen from the lungs to tissues, and of carbon dioxide from tissues to the lungs. White blood cells are generally concerned with protection against invading micro-organisms, and platelets with the ability of the blood to coagulate, and so prevent excessive blood loss through bleeding.

Dental Dictionary: blood cells
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n.pl

Any of the formed elements of the blood, including red cells (erythrocytes), white cells (leukocytes), and platelets (thrombocytes).

Veterinary Dictionary: blood cells
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See erythrocyte and leukocyte. Platelets are classed separately.

Wikipedia: Blood cell
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red and white human blood cells as seen under a microscope using a blue slide stain

A blood cell (also called blood corpuscle) is any cell of any type normally found in blood. In mammals, these fall into three general categories:

Together, these three kinds of blood cells sum up for a total 45% of blood tissue by volume (55% is plasma).[1] This is called the hematocrit and can be determined by centrifuge or flow cytometry.

Contents

Types

Red blood cells

Red blood cells are primarily for carrying oxygen and some carbon dioxide through the use of hemoglobin and have a lifetime of 120 days.

White blood cells

White blood cells are part of the innate immune system and have a lifetime of a few days to years.

Platelets

Platelets are involved in blood coagulation and have a lifetime of about 9 days [2].

Disorders

There are several conditions that affect red blood cells, and one that affects white blood cells.

One condition, anemia, occurs when the number of red blood cells is lower than normal. An opposite conditions, known as polycythemia occurs when the number of red blood cells is greater than normal.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) occurs when a white blood cell mistakenly grants permission to harmful bacteria and viruses to enter the bloodstream.

Sickle-Cell Disease occurs when red blood cells, which normally look like glazed doughnuts, take on the form of sickles. This condition prevents the infected cells from carrying as much oxygen.

References

  1. ^ Maton, Anthea; Jean Hopkins, Charles William McLaughlin, Susan Johnson, Maryanna Quon Warner, David LaHart, Jill D. Wright (1993). Human Biology and Health. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-981176-1. 
  2. ^ http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119622203/abstract

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Food and Nutrition. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2005 by A. E. Bender and D. A. Bender. All rights reserved.  Read more
Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Blood cell" Read more