A microscopic view of an abnormal blood film.

A blood film or peripheral blood smear is a slide made from a drop of blood, that allows the cells to be examined. Blood films are usually done to investigate hematological problems (disorders of the blood itself) and, occasionally, to look for parasites within the blood such as malaria and filaria. Blood film, captured by a friend of mine. ... A microscope (Greek: micron = small and scopos = aim) is an instrument for viewing objects that are too small to be seen by the naked or unaided eye. ... Microscope slides and cover slips. ... Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are present in the blood and help carry oxygen to the rest of the cells in the body Blood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). ... Hematology is the branch of medicine that is concerned with blood and its disorders. ... A parasite is an organism that lives in or on the living tissue of a host organism at the expense of that host. ... Red blood cell infected with Malaria (Italian: bad air; formerly called ague or marsh fever in English) is an infectious disease which in humans causes about 350-500 million infections and approximately 1. ... Filariasis is a parasitic and infectious tropical disease, caused by the thread-like parasitic filarial worms, Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and Brugia timori, all transmitted by mosquitoes. ...

Preparation

Blood films are made by placing a drop of blood on one end of a slide, and using a spreader slide to spread the blood over the slide's length. The aim is to get a region where the cells are spaced far enough apart to be counted and differentiated.

The slide is left to air dry, after which the blood is fixed to the slide by immersing it briefly in methanol. After fixation, the slide is stained (usually by the Romanowsky method) so the cells can be distinguished from each other. Look up Fixation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Fixation in human psychology refers to the state where an individual becomes obsessed with an attachment to another human, animal or inanimate object. ... Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH. It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colourless, tasteless, flammable, poisonous liquid with a very faint odor. ... Romanowsky staining was a prototypical staining technique that was the forerunner of several distinct but similar methods, including Giemsa, Wright, and Leishman stains, which are used to differentiate cells in pathologic specimens. ...

Interpretation

Routine examination

As stated, a blood film will help identify circulating blood cells. Apart from counting the cells, morphology of cells can provide a wealth of information and assist in making a diagnosis^[1]. A blood cell is any cell of any type normally found in blood. ... A full blood count (FBC) or complete blood count (CBC) is a test requested by a doctor or other medical professional that gives information about the cells in a patients blood. ... Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in organisms. ... Diagnosis (from the Greek words dia = by and gnosis = knowledge) is the process of identifying a disease by its signs, symptoms and results of various diagnostic procedures. ...

Cellular components of blood are:

• Red blood cells (erythrocytes)
• White blood cells (leukocytes)
• Platelets (thrombocytes)

Normal blood films are typically full of red blood cells, with occasional white blood cells and minuscule platelets, which are harder to notice due to their size. Human red blood cells Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and are the vertebrate bodys principal means of delivering oxygen from the lungs or gills to body tissues via the blood. ... Human red blood cells Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and are the vertebrate bodys principal means of delivering oxygen to body tissues via the blood. ... White blood cells (also called leukocytes or immune cells) are a component of blood. ... White Blood Cells is also the name of a White Stripes album. ... A 250 ml bag of newly collected platelets. ... A 250 ml bag of newly collected platelets. ... Human red blood cells Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and are the vertebrate bodys principal means of delivering oxygen to body tissues via the blood. ... White Blood Cells is also the name of a White Stripes album. ... A 250 ml bag of newly collected platelets. ...

Disorders

Characteristic red blood cell abnormalities are anemia, sickle cell anemia and spherocytosis. Sometimes the microscopic investigation of the red cells can be essential to the diagnosis of life-threatening disease (e.g. TTP). This article discusses the medical condition. ... Sickle-shaped red blood cells Sickle cell anemia (American English), sickle cell anaemia (British English) or sickle cell disease is a genetic disease in which red blood cells may change shape under certain circumstances. ... Spherocytosis is an auto-hemolytic anemia (a disease of the blood) characterized by the production of red blood cells that are sphere-shaped, rather than donut-shaped. ... Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP or Moschcowitz disease) is a rare disorder of the blood coagulation system that in most cases arises from the deficiency or inhibition of the enzyme responsible for cleaving von Willebrand factor. ...

White blood cells are classified according to their propensity to stain with particular substances, the shape of the nuclei and the granular inclusions.

• Neutrophil granulocytes usually make up close to 80% of the white count. They have multilobulated nuclei and lightly staining granules. They assist in destruction of foreign particles by the immune system by phagocytosis and intracellular killing.
• Eosinophil granulocytes have granules that stain with eosin and play a role in allergy and parasitic disease. Eo's have a multilobulated nucleus.
• Basophil granulocytes are only seen occasionally. They are polymorph-nuceated and their granules stain with alkaline stains, such as haematoxylin. They are further characterised by the fact that the granula seem to overlie the nucleus. Basophils are precursors of mast cells, the cells that mediate local allergy and immune response in organs such as the skin.
• Lymphocytes have very little cytoplasm and a large nucleus (high NC ratio) and are responsible for antigen-specific immune functions, either by antibodies (B cell) or by direct cytotoxicity (T cell). The distinction between B and T cells cannot be made by light microscopy.
• Plasma cells are mature B lymphocytes that engage in the production of one specific antibody. They are characterised by light basophilic staining and a very ecentric nucleus.
• Other cells are white cell precursors. When these are very abundant it can be a feature of infection or leukemia, although the most common types of leukemia (CML and CLL) are characterised by mature cells, although these cells have an abnormal appearance on light microscopy (which can aid in the diagnosis).

Neutrophil granulocytes (commonly referred to as neutrophils) are a class of white blood cells and are part of the immune system. ... The immune system is the system of specialised cells and organs that protect an organism from outside biological influences. ... Phagocytosis (literally, cell eating) is a form of endocytosis where large particles are enveloped by the cell membrane of a (usually larger) cell and internalized to form a phagosome, or food vacuole. ... Eosinophils are white blood cells that are responsible for combating infection by parasites in the body. ... Eosin is an orange-pink dye derived from coal tar. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Haematoxylin is extracted from the wood of the logwood tree. ... A mast cell (or mastocyte) is a resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin. ... A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell involved in the human bodys immune system. ... Cytoplasm is a homogeneous, generally clear jelly-like material that fills cells. ... In cell biology, the nucleus (from Latin nucleus or nuculeus, kernel) is found in all eukaryotic cells that contains most of the cells genetic material. ... An antigen is a molecule that stimulates the production of antibodies. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... B cells are lymphocytes that play a large role in the humoral immune response (as opposed to the cell-mediated immune response). ... Cytotoxicity is the quality of being poisonous to cells. ... T cells are a subset of lymphocytes that play a large role in the immune response. ... Plasma cells are B lymphocytes that secrete immunoglobulins (antibodies). ... B cells are lymphocytes that play a large role in the humoral immune response (as opposed to the cell-mediated immune response). ... Schematic of antibody binding to an antigen An antibody is a protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects like bacteria and viruses. ... Basophilic is a technical term used by histologists. ... In cell biology, the nucleus (from Latin nucleus or nuculeus, kernel) is found in all eukaryotic cells that contains most of the cells genetic material. ... // General In generic terms, a precursor is something that existed before and was incorporated into something that came later. ... An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ... Leukemia (leukaemia in Commonwealth English) is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal proliferation of white blood cells (leukocytes). ... Chronic myelogenous leukemia (or CML) is a form of chronic leukemia characterised by increased production of myeloid cells in the bone marrow. ... Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL, is a cancer in which too many lymphocytes (a type of white blood cells) are produced. ...

Reference

• ^[2] Bain BJ. Diagnosis from the Blood Smear. N Engl J Med 2005;353:498-507. PMID 16079373.