Unit 6 Flashcards
What is a leukogram
Identification of WBCs in blood
The numerical dates of leukocyte profile and any morphological abnormalities of the cells (calculated by evaluating a blood smear)
How are absolute values of WBCs calculated
Multiplying the differential count percentages of each cell with the total WBC count
What are the functions of neutrophils
Most abundant leukocyte in SA
Also called “segs”
granulocytes
Participate in inflammatory response (increased numbers indicate inflammation or infection)
Phagocytosis
How do neutrophils look
Nucleus: irregular, elongated, segmented/lobed
Small very poorly/lightly stained granules (cattle’s may be faintly pink, horses are very diffuse)
May contain vacuoles (cells will be larger if they are actively phagocytic)
What do reptiles, birds, fish and come mammals have in place of neutrophils
Heterophils (granules are eosinophilic)
What is the function of eosinophils
Granulocytic cell
Primary function in the immune system modulation
Phagocytosis
Numbers increase with allergic reactions and parasitic infections
Found in small numbers in peripheral blood
What do eosinophils look like
Nucleus similar to neutrophils
May have some vacuoles
Granules are large and stain red (species differences -canine have light reddish and will range from small to large -feline are rod shaped, small, numerous and reddish -equine have bright red very large often filling the cell -bovine are small round and red)
What is the function of basophils
Granulocytic
Involved with mediation if the immune system
Will see increased numbers with inflammation or infection
Not often seen in blood smears (very uncommon)
What do basophils look like
Larger than neutrophils
Nucleus similar to monocytes
Granules vary in species (blue loving)
Canine: small number of dark blue-purple/black
Feline: large round lavender
Equine/bovine: larger number of dark blue/black granules
What is the function of lymphocytes
Agranulocytic
Function in humoral immune response and cell mediated response
Most abundant cell in ruminants
Increase in numbers indicates viral infections
What do lymphocytes look like
Dark purple-blue round to oval or slightly indented nucleus (kidney bean) Varying color based on clumping or chromatin
Small amount of clear to sky blue cytoplasm (may appear to have none)
Variation of size in species (cats and dogs are smaller with scant cytoplasm, cattle have medium to large with more abundant cytoplasm)
What is the function of monocytes
Agranulocytic cell
Largest of the WBCs
Part of the Inflammatory response, numbers increase with chronic infections
Can migrate to tissues to become macrophages
Phagocytosis
Responsible for normal erythrocyte destruction and iron recycling
What do monocytes look like
Most miss-identified cell
Nucleus varies in shape, generally kidney bean shaped with occasional lobes
A soft cell so it can fold over on itself giving it weird shapes
Very large
Nucleus does not stain as dark and appears to have a lacy appearance
Cytoplasm is grey-blue
May have small pink granules
Large vacuoles
How are leukocyte abnormalities normal quantified
1+ (5-10% of cells affected)
2+ (10-25% of cells affected)
3+ (about 50% of cells affected)
4+ (over 75% of cells affected)
What is nuclear hypersegmentation
Canine or feline neutrophils with more than 5 loves
Usually due to aging of cells in the patient or in the blood tube
Common