Blood makeup/characteristics part 2: Buffy Coat
BUFFY COAT
(makes up less than 1% of blood)
1) Leukocytes (white blood cells) there are 5k-10k wbc in blood
-> 5 types. Listed in order of most abundant to least
i. Neutrophils
-> first on the scene and first to die. Dead neutrophils are the pus we see in wounds. They fight infections, respond to damage, viruses, bacteria. They neutralize and clean up.
ii. Lymphocytes
-> these are the B cells and T cells. The T cells include Helper T cells which activate other cells like the Cytotoxic T cells and B cells when there's an infection, Cytotoxic T cells (killer T cells) that kill infections, and regulatory T cells that reduce T cell activity to make sure the T cells don't go overboard and start attacking healthy cells. B cells include B cells that create antibodies to fight infection. The two main types are B cells that turn to plasma and create antibodies, and B memory cells that remember infections and can trigger a faster immune response to the same infection in the future.
iii. Monocytes
-> they're inactive and float in the blood vessels. When an infection occurs they move into tissues and turn to macrophages. These are wbc that are "big eaters", they eat the pathogens. They can also turn into dendrites which alert other cells to of an infection that needs fighting. They essentially call for backup.
iv. Eosinophils
-> help fight of infections caused by parasites and allergic reactions
v. Basophils
-> deal with allergens and fight parasites, bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Prevent blood clots that may slow healing. They attack any organism they find unfamiliar and have no way of recognizing pathogens they have already been exposed to. Like macrophages, they eat the pathogens.
2) Thrombocytes (platelets) there are 200k - 400k in blood
-> platelets are cell fragments made from megakaryocytes chopped up. They help with blood clotting












