Blood Components
Blood Components
Blood Components
• Components of blood
– Living cells
• Formed elements
– Non-living matrix
• Plasma
Blood Composition
If blood is centrifuged
– Erythrocytes sink to the bottom (45%
of blood, a percentage known as the
hematocrit)
– Buffy coat contains leukocytes and
platelets (less than 1% of blood)
• Buffy coat is a thin, whitish layer
between the erythrocytes and
plasma
– Plasma rises to the top (55% of blood)
Figure 10.1 (2 of 2)
Physical Characteristics of Blood
• Color range
– Oxygen-rich blood is scarlet
red
– Oxygen-poor blood is dull
red
• pH must remain between 7.35–
7.45
The monocyte is the largest mature leukocyte in the peripheral blood measuring
12-20μm in diameter. It posses a large, central oval notched or indented or kidney
shaped nucleus which has a characteristically fine reticulated chromatin network.
The cytoplasm is abundant, pale blue and contains many fine granules and vacuole
Eosinophils
Eosinophils are similar to segmented neutrophil in size (12-15μm) in diameter, but have
coarse, deep red staining granules in the cytoplasm and have usually two nuclear lobes
in the form of a spectacle.
Basophil