White+Blood+Cells+-+KTM

=Introduction=

Did you know that there could be a cold virus or other viruses in your body right now? The reason you might not get sick is because white blood cells help protect your body. White blood cells can go anywhere in your body and fight viruses to keep you healthy and make you feel good. That’s why white blood cells are important. Without white blood cells we would be sick all the time and everybody would have to stay __home__ and have no fun.

=Why are white blood cells important?= What is a white blood cell and why is it important? A white blood cell is part of the immune system in the human body. It is also known as a leukocyte. White blood cells are produced in the bone marrow. They can be found throughout the whole body and travel through the bloodstream. White blood cells are very important because they can fight off bacteria and viruses in the body.

=Different types of white blood cells= There are five different types of white blood cells in the body. The most popular white blood cell is called the neutrophil. A neutrophil makes up 60 to 70 percent of white blood cells in the bloodstream. They are usually the first white blood cell to respond to an infection. Neutrophils only live for about four or five days in the human body. Eosinophils are a second type of white blood cell. They are rare and make up a small amount of the white blood cells in the bloodstream. The number of eosinophils goes up and down all the time and are mostly found in the respiratory, digestive, and urinary system. Basophils are a third type of white blood cell. They are the rarest of all white blood cells. They mostly deal with allergic reactions. Monocytes are a fourth type of white blood cell. They are similar to neutrophils but they live longer. They have more __jobs__ than the neutrophils, and can actually leave the bloodstream and go into the body's tissue. __Lymphocytes__ are the fifth __type__ of white blood cell. They are more common in the lymphatic system than the bloodstream. Lymphocytes are made up of T-cells, B-cells, and Natural Killer cells. Lymphocytes have many __ways__ of __protecting__ the body.

=Shape of white blood cells= toc A white blood cell __doesn__ ’t really have a shape because they are always changing their shape to fight viruses. A white blood cell usually stays in your bloodstream, but they can make themselves very thin and can leave the bloodstream to find __viruses__ in other __parts__ of your body. Unlike white blood cells, red blood cells can't change their shape. They are all the same, round and almost flat. All white blood cells have a nucleus. Some types of white blood cells have one large nucleus, some have a nucleus with two or three lobes, and others have a nucleus with many lobes. To find a monocyte white blood cell, look for a kidney shaped nucleus.

=Jobs of white blood cells=

__What__ are the __jobs__ of white blood cells? The main job of all white blood cells is to protect the body from viruses and infections. But, because there are different types of white blood cells, they all do their job differently. neutrophils protect the body by defending against bacterial and fungal infections. When neutrophils attack an infection in large numbers and then die, this creates pus. The job of the eosinophil is mainly dealing with allergies and parasitic infections. They secrete chemicals that destroy large parasites like hook worms and tapeworms. A basophil's job is responding to allergic and antigen reactions. They release two different chemicals. One chemical is histamine, which increases blood flow to an injured tissue. It also releases heparin which helps prevent the blood from clotting, and helps other white blood cells get into a certain area. Monocytes attack infections like neutrophils, but they also help T-cells recognize pathogens. Once monocytes leave the bloodstream and go into the tissue, their job is to remove dead cell debris. The T-cells job is to identify different pathogens and separate one kind of pathogen from another. The human body has billions of T-cells in it and they all recognize a different kind of pathogen. T-cells don’t actually recognize different pathogens, what they do recognize are the antigens on the pathogens. The B-cells job is to produce proteins that help destroy the pathogens in the body. A protein is really called an antibody, and all B-cells produce only one kind of antibody. Each antibody has a different structure. An antigen and an antibody fit together like puzzle pieces, so when a virus comes into the body, the T-cell finds the antigen and the B-cell binds the antibody with the antigen to help destroy the virus.

=What would happen if white blood cells didn't work?=

There are a lot of things that can happen to you if your white blood cells didn't work right. The main problem would be that you would get sick. For example, a proliferative white blood cell disorder makes your body increase the amount of white blood cells. This can happen due to an infection, medications, smoking and in some types of cancer. Other types of white blood cell disorders cause leukopenias. These disorders make it so you have less white blood cells in your body than you should normally have. Diseases like AIDS and arthritis can cause a low number of white blood cells. Both of these disorders are quantitative disorders of white blood cells. A qualitative disorder is in a different category of white blood cell disorders. This disorder happens if you have the right amount of white blood cells in your body but they don't work like they should.

=Conclusion=

White blood cells are one of the most important blood cells in your body. They protect the human body from being sick, they help fight against viruses and diseases, and help doctors figure out when something is wrong. By keeping your body healthy, white blood cells let you do the things you like to do.