Formed Elements in Blood Quiz

Study Notes

Erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets are collectively called formed elements.
Erythrocytes (RBCs) are the most abundant blood cells.
A healthy adult male has an average of 5-5.5 million RBCs per mm³ of blood.
RBCs are formed in the red bone marrow.
RBCs are biconcave and lack a nucleus.
They contain hemoglobin, a red-colored, iron-containing protein that transports respiratory gases.
The average lifespan of an RBC is 120 days.
Old or damaged RBCs are destroyed in the spleen, which is considered the graveyard of RBCs.
A healthy individual has 12-16 gms of hemoglobin in every 100 ml of blood.

Leukocytes are also known as white blood cells (WBCs).
They are colorless due to the lack of hemoglobin.
They are nucleated cells.
The average number of WBCs per mm³ of blood is 6000-8000.
WBCs have two main categories: Granulocytes and Agranulocytes.
Granulocytes include neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils.
Agranulocytes include lymphocytes and monocytes.
Neutrophils are the most abundant type of WBCs (60-65%).
Basophils are the least abundant type (0.5-1%).
Neutrophils and monocytes are phagocytic cells that destroy foreign organisms and are involved in inflammatory reactions.
Eosinophils (2-3%) resist infections.