What is the average white blood cell size

The number and types of white blood cells WBCs. There are 5 types of WBCs. All play a role in fighting infection. High numbers of WBCs, or of a specific type of WBC, may mean you have an infection or inflammation somewhere in your body. Low numbers of WBCs may mean you are at risk for infections. The number of red blood cells RBCs. RBCs carry oxygen throughout the body and remove excess carbon dioxide. Too few RBCs may be a sign of anemia or other diseases.

In rare cases, too many RBCs may cause problems with blood flow. How the size of your red blood cells varies. For instance, you'll probably have greater differences in red blood cell size if you have anemia.

Hematocrit HCT. This means the portion of red blood cells in a certain amount of whole blood. A low hematocrit may be a sign of too much bleeding.

Or it might mean that you have iron deficiency or other disorders. A higher than normal hematocrit can be caused by dehydration or other disorders. Hemoglobin Hgb, Hb. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells.

It carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Abnormalities can be a sign of problems ranging from anemia to lung disease. The average size of your red blood cells. This test is known as mean corpuscular volume MCV. MCV goes up when your red blood cells are bigger than normal.

Basic examination of blood and bone marrow. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; chap The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites.

Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Information developed by A. Please discuss with your doctor any questions or concerns you may have. Medical Tests. How to Prepare for the Test Most of the time, you do not need to take special steps before this test. How the Test will Feel When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain.

Your provider may order this test to help diagnose conditions such as: An infection Allergic reaction Inflammation Blood cancer such as leukemia or lymphoma Normal Results The normal number of WBCs in the blood is 4, to 11, WBCs per microliter 4.

A lower than normal WBC count may be due to: Bone marrow deficiency or failure for example, due to infection, tumor, or abnormal scarring Cancer treating drugs, or other medicines see list below Certain autoimmune disorders such as lupus SLE Disease of the liver or spleen Radiation treatment for cancer Certain viral illnesses, such as mononucleosis mono Cancers that damage the bone marrow Very severe bacterial infections Severe emotional or physical stress such as from an injury or surgery HIGH WBC COUNT A higher than normal WBC count is called leukocytosis.

These cells have large acidophilic specific granules - these stain bright red, or reddish-purple. These granules contain proteins that are 'destructive' and toxic. Function : These cells are born in the bone marrow, and migrate from the peripheral blood system after a few hours, into loose connective tissue in the respiratory and gastointestinal tracts.

They phagocytose antigen-antibody complexes. They also produce histaminase, and aryl suphatase B, two enzymes that inactivate two inflammatory agents released by mast cells. A high eosinophil blood count may indicate an allergic reaction. This photo shows a picture of a basophil. The granules contain heparin, histamine and serotonin.

Function : These cells are involved in immune responses to parasites. They have IgE receptors and the granules are released when the cells bind IgE. These cells also accumulate at sites of infection, and the release of prostaglandins, serotonin and histamine help to increase blood flow to the area of damage, as part of the inflammatory response. The degranulation - release of histamine also plays a role in allergic reactions such as hay fever.

This is a photo of a lymphocyte in a blood smear. These larger cells have more cytoplasm, more free ribosomes and mitochondria. Lymphocytes can look like monocytes, except that lymphocytes do not have a kidney-bean shaped shaped nucleus, and lymphocytes are usually smaller. Larger lymphocytes are commonly activated lymphocytes. They have a small spherical nucleus and has abundant dark staining condensed chromatin.