DIFFERENTIAL LEUCOCYTE COUNT

Leishman's stain composition

➢ Alcohol (Methanol) - Used to fix the blood that is

spread on the slide.

➢ Eosin (Acidic dye) - stains the basic particles (basic

granule) of the WBC

➢ Mehtylene blue (Basic dye) - stains the acidic particles

(nucleus and acidic granules) of the WBC

Cedar wood oil

has the same refractive index of glass (1.5); reduces the

diffraction of light and increase the clarity

Granulocytes

A group of leukocytes containing granules in their cytoplasm; neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils.

Agranulocytes

A group of leukocytes without granules in their nuclei; lymphocytes, monocytes.

Neutrophils

Nucleus: 2-5 lobes

• Granules: Fine and violet in color,

they take up both, basic and acidic stains

Eosinophils

Nucleus is bilobed.

• Granules in cytoplasm are coarse and pink in color

as they take the acid stain - Eosin.

Basophils

The nucleus is bilobed.(not visible)

➢ The granules are coarse and blue in color as they stain with methylene

blue the basic stain

Lymphocytes

• Nucleus: round or slightly bean shaped, it is comparatively

larger,and the cytoplasm is less.

• The cytoplasm is clear without granules.

Monocytes

• Nucleus: kidney or horse shoe shaped and

it is mostly pushed to one side

• The cytoplasm is clear without granules.

function of neutrophils

phagocytosis of bacteria

function of eosinophils

Production of toxic proteins against certain parasites; some phagocytosis

function of basophils

release histamine and heparin

function of lymphocytes

produce antibodies and direct cell

attack

function of monocytes

phagocytosis of Viruses; develop into macrophages in tissues

leukocytosis

increase in white blood cells

leukopenia

deficiency of white blood cells