White Blood Cells (Leukocytes)
White blood cells, or leukocytes (also spelled "leucocytes", leuco- Ancient Greek "white"), are cells of the immune system involved in defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials. Five different and diverse types of leukocytes exist, but they are all produced and derived from a multipotent cell in the bone marrow known as a hematopoietic stem cell. They live for about 3 to 4 days in the average human body. Leukocytes are found throughout the body, including the blood and lymphatic system.
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Famous quotes containing the words white, blood and/or cells:
“In marble halls as white as milk,
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—Mother Goose (fl. 17th–18th century. In marble walls as white as milk (Riddle: An Egg)
“The blood weeps from my heart when I do shape,
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—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
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—Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939)