What Is The Function Of The White Blood Cells?

White blood cells, also known as WBC are like protectors for our body. They increase our body's resistance to diseases, germs and infections. White blood cells produce protective antibodies that are more powerful then germs and they overpower the germs. White Blood cells fights regular and minor diseases and infections such as flue, viral fever etc. The protective antibodies that White blood cells produce surround and demolish the bacteria which could harm the body's metabolism. A drop of blood contains anything from 7000 to 25000 white blood cells. It may seem like a huge number. If the number of white blood cells is consistently higher then this in one's blood, it is a sign of Leukaemia which is a kind of blood cancer.

The granulocytes and monocytes play a very important part in protecting the body from micro organisms.  By phagocytic action (phago – I eat) they ingest living bacteria.  As many as 10 to 20 micro organisms may be seen in a granulocyte under microscopic examination.  By their power of amoeboid movement they can move freely in and out of the blood vessels and wander about in all parts of the body.  In this way they can: Surround any area which is infected or injured, take a living organism and destroy them (ingestion), remove other materials, such as bits of dirt, splinters of wood, catgut sutures, etc., by a similar process, and in addition, the granulocytes possess a protein – splitting ferment which enables them to act on living tissues, break it down, and remove it.  In this way disease or injured tissue can be removed and healing promoted.

As a result of the phagocytic action of the white blood cells inflammation may be entirely arrested.  When the activity does not proceed to complete resolution, pus may be formed.  Pus consists of the dead bodies of friends and foes --- phagocytes killed in the battle against the invading germs are called pus cells.  Any dead germs are also present in pus and in addition there is a considerable amount of liquefied tissue.  As the fight proceeds, if the white blood cells overcome the invading organisms, eventually all signs of destruction will be removed, the living and dead bacteria, pus cells, and liquefied tissues all being removed by the healthy granulocytes acting as phagocytes.