Blood cell
| Blood cells | |
|---|---|
Diagram showing the development of different blood cells from hematopoietic stem cells to mature cells. | |
| Details | |
| System | Circulatory system, Immune system |
| Function | Oxygen transport, defense, tissue repair |
| Identifiers | |
| MeSH | D001773 |
| FMA | 62844 |
| Anatomical terms of microanatomy | |
A blood cell (also called a hemocyte or hematocyte) is a cell produced through hematopoiesis and found mainly in the blood. Major types of blood cells include red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and platelets (thrombocytes). Together, these three kinds of blood cells add up to a total 45% of the blood tissue by volume, with the remaining 55% of the volume composed of plasma, the liquid component of blood.
Blood cells with differentiation potential are called hematopoietic cells; the ones with the most such potential are hematopoietic stem cells.