Abaxis VetScan HM5 - Composition of Blood

Introduction to Veterinary Hematology A-3
A.2 Composition of Blood
Whole blood contains three cellular components:
 Red blood cells (erythrocytes, RBC)
 White blood cells (leukocytes, WBC)
 Platelets (thrombocytes, PLT)
Table A-1: Cell Composition of Whole Blood*
Red Blood Cells White Blood Cells Platelets
Normal density
5–12 x 10
12
cells/l 6–15 x 10
9
cells/l 100–700 x10
9
cells/l
Nucleated? No ** Yes No
Sub-populations
and their
percentages
RBC: 99.9%
NRBC: **
(Nucleated RBC) 0.1%
GRAnulocytes: 65%
NEUtrophil: 60%
EOSinophil: 4%
BASophil: 1%
LYMphocytes: 32%
MONocytes: 3%
Shape, size Biconcave (donut) shape
diameter: 5–7 µm
thickness: 1.8–2 µm
GRAnulocytes: 13–16 µm
LYMphocytes: 8–15 µm
MONocytes: 15–25 µm
Fragments with a
diameter of 2
–4 µm
Volume of cell 30–80 fl 50–1500 fl 5–15 fl
Volumetric% in
whole blood
40–45% 0.1% 0.3%
* Data generated using whole human blood.
** Mature mammalian RBCs are non-nucleated.