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Lab 35: Blood Cells

PURPOSE:
To review the characteristics of blood cells, to examine them microscopically, perform a differential white blood cell count, and study the results of the Sickle Cell mutation

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Describe the structure and function of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets
2. Identify red blood cells, five types of white blood cells, and platelets on a stained blood slide
3. Perform a differential white blood cell count

PROCEDURE A: Types of Blood Cells

1. Examine the list of vocabulary terms relating to Blood from the web site and define them in your lab book.

2. Review the information on Blood cells in Cpt 11 pages 344-348, 354-359, and the Red Blood cells, White Blood cells, Plasma and Platelets pages. Also review HistoWeb's Blood site and the U of N @ Omaha Blood Cell site.

3. Complete Part A in your Lab Notebook

4. Examine the prepared slides under low power magnification and locate an area where the cells are well distributed. Observe the cells under high power magnification.

4. Refer to your text and web sites as an aid to identifying the various types of blood cells. Locate the following and draw and label each in your Lab Notebook. Label this Part B, Types of Blood Cells: Erythrocyte (red blood cell); Leukocytes (white blood cells): neuterophil, lymphocyte, monocyte. eosinophil, basophil; platelet

PROCEDURE B: DIFFERENTIAL WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT
A differntial white blood cell count is performed to determine the percentage of each of the various types of white blood cells present in a blood sample. The test is useful because the relative proportions of white blood cells may change in particular diseases. Neuterophils, for example, usually increase during bacterial infection and eosinophils may increase during certain parasitic infections and allergic reactions.

1. To make a differential white blood cell count:
a. Focus on the cells at one corner of a prepared slide using high power magnification
b. Move the slide back and forth slowly, following a path that avoids passing over the same cells twice
c. Each time you encounter a white blood cell, identify it and record it in the table in Part C of the Lab Report
d. Continue searching for, and identifying, white blood cells until you have recorded 100 cells in the table. Since percentage is out of 100, the number of each cell type represents it's percentage in the blood sample.

2. Complet Part C in your Lab Notebook

3. As you complete the lab, Review the "Lab Objectives" and write a synopsis of the lab addressing the three objectives.