what is the primary function of white blood cells
White blood cell White blood cells (WBCs), also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are the cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and derived from multipotent cells in the bone marrow known as hematopoietic stem cells. Leukocytes are found throughout the body, including the blood and lymphatic system.[1]
Blood Blood accounts for 7% of the human body weight,[3][4] with an average density around 1060 kg/m3, very close to pure water's density of 1000 kg/m3.[5] The average adult has a blood volume of roughly 5 litres (11 US pt),[4] which is composed of plasma and several kinds of cells. These blood cells (which are also called corpuscles or "formed elements") consist of erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBCs), leukocytes (white blood cells), and thrombocytes (platelets). By volume, the red blood cells constitute about 45% of whole blood, the plasma about 54.3%, and white cells about 0.7%.
Antigen Antigen presenting cells present antigens in the form of peptides on histocompatibility molecules. The T cell/T lymphocyte (a subtype of white blood cell), of the adaptive immune system, selectively recognize the antigens. Depending on the antigen and the type of the histocompatibility molecule, different types of T cells will be activated. For T-Cell Receptor (TCR) recognition, the peptide must be processed into small fragments inside the cell and presented by a major histocompatibility complex (MHC).[5] The antigen cannot elicit the immune response without the help of an immunologic adjuvant.[3] Similarly, the adjuvant component of vaccines plays an essential role in the activation of the innate immune system.[6][7]
White blood cell The number of leukocytes in the blood is often an indicator of disease, and thus the WBC count is an important subset of the complete blood count. The normal white cell count is usually between 4 × 109/L and 11 × 109/L. In the US this is usually expressed as 4,000 to 11,000 white blood cells per microliter of blood.[3] They make up approximately 1% of the total blood volume in a healthy adult,[4] making them substantially less numerous than the RBCs at 40% to 45%. However, this 1% of the blood makes a large difference to health, because immunity depends on it. An increase in the number of leukocytes over the upper limits is called leukocytosis. It is normal when it is part of healthy immune responses, which happen frequently. It is occasionally abnormal, when it is neoplastic or autoimmune in origin. A decrease below the lower limit is called leukopenia. This indicates a weakened immune system.