Question

Red and white blood cells develop from a common hematopoietic stem cell, which is large and nucleated. After cell differentiation and maturation, red cells no longer have nuclei and are very small, and white cells are nucleated, often large, filled with granules, and are capable of phagocytosis. Why do mature red blood cells look so different from their white counterparts?   

What is the term for white blood cells? How many types are there and what does each one do? Come up with an easy way to remember the names of the different types (develop an acronym).

Answer 1

Red and white blood cells develop from the bone marrow. the red blood cells are formed from the red bone marrow and the white blood cells are formed from the yellow bone marrow.

Red blood cells which are also called as erythrocytes are circular, biconcave and non nucleated. They have a nucleus when they are in mature but after maturation they lack nucleus. The main reason is to allow the red blood cells to contain more HEMOGLOBIN thereby carrying more oxygen molecules because oxygen has affinity to hemoglobin. It is biconcave shaped to allow diffusion.

White blood cells which are also called as LEUKOCYTES

They are mainly large, amoeboid, nucleated and help in phagocytosis.

White blood cells help in fighting against foreign bodies by killing them or engulfing them.

Leucocytes are divided into GRANULOCYTES AND AGRANULOCYTES

Granulocytes contain granules in the cytoplasm and are lobed. They contain the neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils.

Agranulocytes do not contain granules in their cytoplasm and nucleus is not lobed which include the lymphocytes and monocytes.

Neutrophils the maximum in number which help in phagocytosis by engulfing the microorganism.

Eosinophils are non phagocytic and increase during allergic conditions.

Basophils release heparin which acts as a anticoagulant.

Lymphocytes help in reducing antibodies for the immune response of the body

Monocytes are large cells which act as scavengers by forming macrophages health in engulfing the microorganisms.

Acronym

Neutrophil (N)

Basophils (B)

Eosinophil (E)

Monocytes ( M)

Lymphocytes (L)