What Are the Two Functional Differences Between Erythrocytes & Leukocytes?

Your blood has three principle responsibilities, all functionally different from one another. Erythrocytes provide your body with energy. Leukocytes keep you well and can actually replicate existing antibodies to quickly engulf bacteria that your body has killed in the past. Platelets have nothing to do with oxygen or immunity, but are responsible for blood coagulation.

Physiology

• Blood is carried throughout your body in an intricate network of veins and arteries, with arteries carrying oxygenated blood, and veins carrying the oxygen-depleted blood. Whole blood consists of four components: plasma, red blood cells (also called erythrocytes) white blood cells (called leukocytes) and platelets. Each type of blood cell functions differently, and all three are needed to sustain life.

Erythrocytes

• Erythrocytes resemble biconcave discs consisting of a specialized protein called hemoglobin. This protein attracts and picks up oxygen molecules as blood circulates throughout your lungs. As the oxygenated erythrocytes travel from the lungs, to the heart and the rest of the body, this oxygen is dropped off in the tissues providing energy where needed. Erythrocytes live for approximately 120 days. The body constantly replaces these dead cells to keep your body oxygenated.

Leukocytes

• White blood cells, or leukocytes, resemble opaque round orbs which are larger than erythrocytes and easily distinguished under a microscope. The major responsibility of leukocytes is to produce proteins called antibodies. These proteins engulf invading bacteria, viruses and other proteins to protect the body from infections, toxins and allergens. White blood cells originate from bone marrow. The body can easily increase production in response to infection. When your physician sees an elevated white blood cell count in your blood sample, it is an indication that you have an infection.

Platelets

• Platelets are not actually blood cells, but cell fragments that release specific chemicals that accumulate at points of open injury to stop bleeding. Platelets are also produced in the bone marrow and have the shortest life-span of all your cells. If you have a low platelet count, you are at risk of excessive bleeding or hemorrhaging. If you have too many platelets, these cells can form clots within your vascular system leading to a heart attack, stroke or injury to other parts of the body.