White blood cells (WBCs), also known as leukocytes, are a part of the body’s immune system. They help protect the body against infections, fight off pathogens like bacteria and viruses, and play a role in inflammation and allergic reactions. Unlike red blood cells (RBCs), which carry oxygen, white blood cells primarily defend the body against …
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What are mast cells? Mast cells are a type of white blood cell (WBC) that are involved in the body’s immune response. Mast cells are similar in appearance to basophils, with both types of cells containing large granules in their cytoplasm (body of the cell), but they originate from different cell lines and can be …
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What are natural killer cells? Natural killer (NK) cells are a type of lymphocyte and a part of the body’s immune system. They are called “natural killers” because they do not require prior activation to kill infected or abnormal cells, as opposed to other immune cells, such as T cells and B cells. What do …
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What are neutrophils? Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell (WBC) and a part of the body’s innate immune system. They protect the body from infection and injury. Neutrophils are the most common type of WBC accounting for between 50% and 80% of all the WBCs in the body. What do neutrophils do? Neutrophils …
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What is a lymphocyte? A lymphocyte is a specialized type of immune cell and a type of white blood cell (WBC). Lymphocytes are responsible for protecting our body from infections and for helping us heal after an injury. Normal lymphocytes are small cells with a limited amount of cytoplasm (cell body) surrounding a dark round …
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What are leukocytes? Leukocytes are a group of specialized cells and part of the body’s immune system. Another name for a leukocyte is white blood cell (WBC). Immune cells are responsible for protecting our body from infections and for helping us heal after an injury. It is normal for a pathologist to see these types …
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