FORMED ELEMENTS OF BLOOD

BLOOD IS A CONNECTIVE
TISSUE!
• Has all 3 components expected of any CT
– Fibers are latent as soluble precursor
• Fibrinogen
– Fibrin of clots
– Matrix is liquid plasma
– Cells are collectively the “formed elements”
• True cells are not “blood” cells at all
– Use blood only for transport
– Active only in extravascular spaces of CT
• Non-cells
Non cells are active in blood
– Erythrocytes
– Platelets
ERYTHROCYTES
A/K/A “RED BLOOD CELLS”

• Uniform size
• Biconcave
disks
• Flexible
• Enucleated
– Endpoint of a
development
al series of
nucleated
precursors
• No organelles!
– Limited Life

RBC’s
RBC s
Impart
the color
to blood
due to
Hgb
• “Red blood
cells”
ERYTHROCYTES
– Not cells
anymore
y
– Most
numerous
formed
element
– Oxygen
transport
p
only
function
– Senescent
after 90-120
days
 PLATELETS
• Cell fragments
– Precursor in
bone marrow
• Responsible for
i ti l clot
intial l t
formation
• Smallest formed
element
PLATELETS
IN ACTION
GRANULOCYTES: NEUTROPHILS
• Multilobed nucleus
• Granules
G l in
i
cytoplasm
– Lysosomes
• Most numerous of
granulocytes
• Phagocytic
• First cell of
inflammation
response
GRANULOCYTES: NEUTROPHILS
• In situ appear
smaller
• Nuclear
configuration is
clue
• Found in
circulatory
spaces
• Found in CT’s
especially in
inflammation
GRANULOCYTES: EOSINOPHILS
• Prominent
g
granules
• Bilobed nucleus
• Phagocytic
– Ag/Ab complexes
• Visible in sites of
allergic
responses
• Species
differences in
numbers and
granule sizes
NEUTROPHIL & EOSINOPHIL
 GRANULOCYTES: BASOPHIL

• Rarest cell of
blood
– Ab
Absentt in
i some
species
• Precursor
ecu so oof
Mast Cell of CT
– Granules
contain
histamine &
heparin
 BASOPHIL & MAST CELL
Mast
Cells
H&E

Mast
Cells
TB

Basophil in Smear, Wright Stain

AGRANULOCYTES: LYMPHOCYTE
• Almost no
cytoplasm
• Nucleus
condensed
& inactive
• Quiescent
cell in
transit to
CT
– IImmune
response
functions
LYMPHOCYTE & PLASMA CELL
AGRANULOCYTES: MONOCYTE
• Very large cell
• More
cytoplasm
than
lymphocyte
y p y
• Precursor to
macrophages
off CT
• Indented
“spaghetti
spaghetti &
meatballs”
nucleus
 Picture
Credits

• Texas A&M
University
• UK Chlorine
Council