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Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2002.
| TYPE OF CELL | MAIN FUNCTIONS | TYPICAL CONCENTRATION IN HUMAN BLOOD (CELLS/LITER) |
|---|---|---|
| Red blood cells (erythrocytes) | transport O2 and CO2 | 5 × 1012 |
| White blood cells (leucocytes) | ||
| Granulocytes | ||
| Neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leucocytes) | phagocytose and destroy invading bacteria | 5 × 109 |
| Eosinophils | destroy larger parasites and modulate allergic inflammatory responses | 2 × 108 |
| Basophils | release histamine (and in some species serotonin) in certain immune reactions | 4 × 107 |
| Monocytes | become tissue macrophages, which phagocytose and digest invading microorganisms and foreign bodies as well as damaged senescent cells | 4 × 108 |
| Lymphocytes | ||
| B cells | make antibodies | 2 × 109 |
| T cells | kill virus-infected cells and regulate activities of other leucocytes | 1 × 109 |
| Natural killer (NK) cells | kill virus-infected cells and some tumor cells | 1 × 108 |
| Platelets (cell fragments arising from megakaryocytes in bone marrow) | initiate blood clotting | 3 × 1011 |
Humans contain about 5 liters of blood, accounting for 7% of body weight. Red blood cells constitute about 45% of this volume and white blood cells about 1%, the rest being the liquid blood plasma.
From: Renewal by Multipotent Stem Cells: Blood Cell Formation
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