Why are blood samples taken from white blood cells instead of red blood cells?

White blood cells are measured for a number of reasons - depending on what disease is present. During disease certain WBCs are elevated. For example white blood cells known as lymphocyes and neutrophils increase in number to fight an infection. Blood tests measuring these WBC give the doctor an indication of how severe the disease is progressing and when the body needs help in the form of antibiotic therapy how the disease is improving. Other WBC known as eosinophils are elevated in patients who have asthma. Eosinophil levels are associated with disease - so if your asthma is quite severe, your eosinophils are elevated. High levels of eosinophils can also reflect allergy status too.

High levels of Neutrophils on the other hand are associated with smoking related diseases such as emphysema.

Red blood cells are not ignored during analysis. We can assess the haemaglobin content in RBC to assess oxygen transport. Low RBC counts/ haemaglobin levels can indicate anaemia, or other hereditary anaemias such as sickle cell disease.

Hope this helps

Blood samples are taken from the circulating blood, including all blood types.

They do a differentail on the white blood count, bc there are several different types of white blood cell. They do also look at the hemoglobin (red blood cell) and platetets and so forth. All parts are important.

Smears are also taken from the entire sample. If they are looking for something particular, they may sort out and only look at one type, and that could be any type depending on what they are looking for

Well actually, blood while in the body, is a very deep dark red, much like a mix of crimson and indigo. However, once the air hits it, (such as with a cut on the skin) it becomes a much brighter red. Red blood cells are red only because they contain a protein chemical called hemoglobin which is bright red in color. Hemoglobin contains the element Iron, making it an excellent vehicle for transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide. As blood passes through the lungs, oxygen molecules attach to the hemoglobin. As the blood passes through the body's tissue, the hemoglobin releases the oxygen to the cells. The empty hemoglobin molecules then bond with the tissue's carbon dioxide or other waste gases, transporting it away. Let's not forget that, in addition to red blood cells, we also have several types of white blood cells!

Hi Greenbunny. Love the name!

I am not sure what you are asking, but it doesn't appear that any of the answers are what you may be looking for.

If you are asking why some blood tests use white blood cells and other blood tests use red blood cells, I may have an answer for you.

Red blood cells live, on average, about 120 days. So any characteristic (e.g. magnesium content) you might measure in an RBC would only reflect the patient status of that characteristic (e.g. magnesium intake in the diet) over a short period of time (a few months).

White blood cells can live for long periods of time, even years. So, measuring magnesium levels in white blood cells would give a more accurate indication of the long-term intake of magnesium from the diet.

Hope this is helpful for you. Best wishes.

White and red blood cells are mixed together in the body. Once the blood is removed from the body the cells are separated in a centrifuges. I think they separate them out because the different cells tell different things about the body. Lots of white cells indicate an infection. Low red blood cell count could indicate anaemia.

Um, blood samples aren't taken from either but drawn from our veins or (not usually) our arteries. In the blood sample the majority of the cells are red blood cells (RBCs) with white blood cells (WBCs), platelets, and plasma. You'd like to see a relatively low, but not too low, WBC content and a lot of RBCs. If you spin down a sample, don't forget EDTA to prevent coagulation, you'll see the RBC separate out along with fat (which would be white, in some folks they have so much fat in their blood it can make a sample pink), and the plasma but the WBCs will not be apparent without looking under a microscope.

A blood sample contains both red and white blood cells.

Depending on the tests a person is having done, whole blood

(sample containing red and white cells, platelets and an anticoagulant to keep it from clotting), serum(liquid portion of clotted blood, spun down in centrifige), or plasma( liquid portion of spun down whole blood) may be used.

they are looking for an abnormal rise in certain wht. blood cells. There are several types of wht. cells and each should remain at a certain level in a health individual. The red blood cells primary job is to transfer o2 to the tissues and carry co2 to the lungs. The white cells are part of our body's immunity.

Perhaps because red blood cells have no nucleus and white blood cell counts increase under infection.

Red blood cells have no nucleus