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1. Dr Pallavi Saxena

2. Objectives
Introduction
Leucopoiesis
Classification
Morphology
Properties
Functions
Applied physiology
Recent advances

3. Introduction
 Why leucocytes called white cells??
Gabriel Andral,a French professor of medicine and
William Addison, an English country
practitioner,reported simultaneously the first
description of leucocytes (1843)
Play important role in immunity of the body

4. Leucopoiesis
Definition
The process of development and maturation of
white blood cells(leucocytes), is called
leucopoiesis.

5. HEAMOCYTOBLAST
MYELOID SERIES
MYELOID STEM
CELL
MYELOBLAST
PROMYELOCYTE
GRANULOPOIESIS
MYELOCYTE
METAMYELOCYTE
BAND FORM
GRANULOCYTE

6. HEAMOCYTOBLAST
MYELOID STEM CELL
MYELOMONOBLAST
FORMATION OF
MONOCYTES
PROMONOCYTE
MONOCYTE
(BLOOD)
MACROPHAGE
(TISSUES)
MONOCYTE-MACROPHAGE
SERIES

7. HEAMOCYTOBLAST
LYMPHOID STEM CELL
LYMPHOBLAST
LYMPHOPOIESIS
PROLYMPHOCYTE
LYMPHOCYTE
PLASMA CELLS

8. Regulation of leucopoiesis
Granulopenia or dead granulocytes & monocytes
Releases
G-CSF
M-CSF
GM-CSF
Interleukins
Stimulate
Bone Marrow
Increased formation
Granulocytes
Monocytes/macrophages
Normal
counts inhibit

9. Normal range of WBC
At birth,in full term infant: 10,000-25,000/μl
of blood
Infants upto 1 yr of age:6000-16,000/μl of
blood
Adults:4000-11,000/μl of blood

10. Variations in WBC count
TLC > 11,000/μL(Leucocytosis)
Physiological
1.Age
2.Exercise
3.Mental stress
4.Pregnancy
5.After food intake
6.Exp.to low temp.
Pathological
1.Acute bacterial
infections
(pyogenic org.)
2.Burns
3.Post-operative
period
4.Tuberculosis
5.Glandular fever

11. TLC < 4000/μL( Leucopenia)
1.Infections by non-pyogenic organisms e.g.
typhoid fever
2.Viral infections, influenza,smallpox,mumps
etc
3.Protozoal infections
4.Starvation & malnutrition
5.Aplasia of bone marrow
6.Bone marrow depression

12. Classification
Granulocytes Agranulocytes
Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils
Lymphocytes
Monocytes

13. Neutrophils
1. Cell size- 10-14μm
2. Nucleus- central or eccentric; 2-6
lobes;deep purplish blue
3. Cytoplasm- faint pink
4. Granules- fine(pin-point); violet-
Normal values pink in color
•Differential:40
-75%
•Absolute:2000
-7500/μl of
blood

14. Eosinophils
1. Cell size- 10-14μm
2. Nucleus- central or eccentric; 2-3
lobes; purplish blue; “spectacle
shaped”
3. Cytoplasm- acidophilic;bright
pink in color
4. Granules- large; coarse; crimson
red
Normal values
•Differential: 1-
6%
•Absolute:40-
440/μl of blood

15. Basophils
1. Cell size- 10-14μm
2. Nucleus- central; 2-3 lobes;
purplish blue; overlaid with
granules
3. Cytoplasm- basophilic; full of
granules
4. Granules- very coarse,deep
purple or blue
Normal values
•Differential: 0-
1%
•Absolute: 0-
100/μl of blood

16. Monocyte
1. Cell size- 12-20μm
2. Nucleus- eccentric or central;
round or oval; pale bluish
violet
3. Cytoplasm- abundant; pale
blue; clear
Normal values
•Differential:
2-10%
•Absolute:500
-800/μl of
blood

17. Lymphocyte
1. Cell size- LL:12-16μm; SL:7-
10μm
2. Nucleus- eccentric; large
round nucleus; deep purplish
blue
3. Cytoplasm- scanty; light blue
color
Normal values
•Differential:2
0-40%
•Absolute:
1500-4000/μl
of blood

18. Variation in counts
Neutrophilia
Absolute count >
10,000/μl of blood
•Physiological &
•Pathlogical causes
Neutropenia
Absolute count<
2500/μl of blood
•Causes??

19. Life Span Of WBC
Not constant.
 Neutrophils -> 2-5 days
 Eosinophils -> 7-12 days
 Basophils -> 12-15 days
 Monocytes -> 2-5 days
 Lymphocytes -> ½-1 day

20. Properties Of WBC’s
 Diapedesis
 Ameboid movement
 Chemotaxis
 Phagocytosis

21. Properties of WBCs

22. FUNCTIONS

23. Neutrophils
 1st line of defense
 Granules contain enzymes like
Nucleotidases
Catalases
 Antibody like substances -> Defensins

24. Eosinophils
 Defense (specially against parasites )
 Role in allergic reactions
 Substances present in granules
1. Major basic protein
2. Eosinophilic cationic proteins
3. Eosinophil peroxidase
4. Aryl sulphatase B

25. Basophils
 Role in allergic responses
 Substances present in granules
1. Histamine
2. Heparin
3. Hyaluronic acid
4. Proteases & Myeloperoxidase

26. Monocytes
 1st line of defense
 Motile & phagocytic
 Precursors of tissue macrophages
secrete:
1. Interleukin 1
2. Colony stimulating factor
3. Platelet activating factor

27. Lymphocytes
Immunity
1.T- Lymphocyte -> Cellular Immunity
2.B- Lymphocyte -> Humoral Immunity

28. APPLIED
PHYSIOLOGY

29. Variation in counts
Neutrophilia
Absolute count >
10,000/μl of blood
•Physiological &
•Pathlogical causes
Neutropenia
Absolute count<
2500/μl of blood
•Causes??

30. Variation in counts
Eosinophilia
•Absolute count
> 500/μl of
blood
•Causes??
Eosinopenia
•Absolute count <
50/μl of blood
•Causes..??

31. Cont….
Basophilia
•Absolute
count >100/μl
of blood
•Causes
Basopenia
•Decrease in
basophil count
•Causes

32. Lymphocytosis
•Absolute count>
4000/μl of blood
•Physiological
•Pathological
causes
Lymphopenia
•Absolute
count <
1500/μl of
blood
•Causes??

33. Monocytosis
•Count > 800/μl
of blood
•Causes??
Monocytopenia
•Decrease in
monocyte count
•Rare

34. PATHOLOGICAL
VARIATIONS

35. CYCLIC NEUTROPENIA
 Episodes of severe neutropenia usually
lasting for 3-6 days
Can be familial & inherited with maturation
arrest

36. Hypereosinophilic syndrome
Criteria of diagnosis
Peripheral blood eosinophil >1.5 x 109/L
Persistence of counts more than 6 months
Organs involved
Heart
Lung
Skin
Neurological

37. LEUCOCYTES BENIGN DISORDERS
Qualitative changes (MORPHOLOGY)
Congenital
Pelger-Huet anomaly
Bilobed and occasional unsegmented
neutrophils
Autosomal recessive disorder

38. Chediak-Higashi syndrome
Autosomal recessive disorder
Giant granules in granulocytes, monocytes and
lymphocytes
Recurrent pyogenic infections
Lymphoproliferative syndrome may develop
Treatment is BMT

39. Leukemia
 WBC upto 1,000,00/cu.mm
 It can be –
1. Acute – Lmphoblastic
Myeloblastic
2. Chronic – Lymphatic
Myeloid

40. RECENT
ADVANCES

41. 1.Bone marrow transplantation
2.Apheresis & leucocyteapheresis
3.Use of special filters & leucocyte depleted
blood
4.Flow cytometry
5.Alpha interferon

42. Bibliography
Essentials of medical physiology by
K.Sembulingam & Prema Sembulingam
Medical physiology by Guyton & Hall
Medical physiology by Indu Khurana
Google search