Leukemia: About White Blood Cells

People with leukemia are prone to a range of skin-related problems, from rashes and bruising to infections and bleeding into the skin.


Leukemia can disrupt the body’s production of platelets, which normally form blood clots to stop bleeding. That can set the stage for bruising. “When platelets become low, patients often bleed into the skin spontaneously or with minimal trauma,” Forrestel says.

Capillaries burst underneath the skin, and if there aren’t enough platelets to block damaged capillaries, blood leaks into the skin, says Forrestel.

In addition to petechiae, this can appear as purpura (larger red or purple areas), or ecchymoses (bruises), Forrestel says.

According to Forrestel, these spots usually take weeks to go away, but gentle skin care and avoiding trauma when possible can also help prevent the condition.
There are five types of leukocytes (white blood cells) found in the blood:
  • Basophils
  • Eosinophils
  • Lymphocytes
  • Monocytes
  • Neutrophils
Each cell type has a specific role to play in our body's immune system. Important overall functions of the immune system include defense against invading microorganisms, removal of dead or damaged cells, and destruction of cancer cells. 

Learn more about the immune system

Blood cell formation begins with a special cell located in the bone marrow called a hematopoietic stem cell. Unlike most cells, the hematopoietic stem cell has the capability for self-renewal as well as the ability to give rise to any one of the separate blood cell types. 

This means that as the stem cell divides in two, one cell replaces the original stem cell and the other begins the multi-step process of developing into a mature blood cell.
 
It is important to note that hematopoietic stem cells are different from embryonic stem cells. While hematopoietic stem cells can develop into any type of blood cell, embryonic stem cells can develop into any cell type in the body.
 
Blood cell precursors usually progress through a series of stages in the bone marrow before entering the circulating blood stream. Signals from surrounding cells in the bone marrow can help stimulate stem cells to divide as well as develop and mature into specific blood cell types. 

Normal cell division is also regulated by an important process known as the cell cycle. Disruption of this process is central to the development ofleukemia.

Learn more about the cell cycle
For more information about leukemia visit the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Leaked s3x video of Nollywood actress Moyo Lawal & people's reaction

Image
Netizens are feasting on what look to be s3x video recordings of famous Nollywood actress Moyo Lawal and an unknown male. However, based on her Instagram activity an hour or two after the clips were revealed, the actress seemed indifferent, continuing to post material completely unrelated to the news. Her most recent post, approximately an hour ago, was on her involvement in the film 'Chameleon,' which drew over 6,000 comments within an hour of being published. The majority of the comments, predictably, focused on the sex video rather than the film. Some made light of the sex tape in the comments area, while others reached out to the actress in sympathy. Mimi Orjiekwe, Nina Ivy, Bobrisky, Moet Abebe, and a slew of other celebrities sent emojis and nice words to the actress. Moyo didn't technically respond to anybody, but her previous post definitely says something about her mental condition. "The only magic I still believe in is love," Moyo Lawal wrote. “And if yo...
Read more

What you need to know about skin fissure or crack foot.

Image
 What is skin fissure? Skin fissures are cracks in the skin or under the foot that forms due to intense dryness and thickened skin. Fissures can be superficial or deep, and they may bleed or be painful. Reason for fissure or crack foot There are two reasons you get dry and cracked feet. And, while your local podiatrist can treat both, the treatment options are different. So you need to know what's causing your problem, to get the right solution. 1. Environmental Causes:      Environmental causes is one of the major reason one will have skin fissure because normally, your feet and skin is supposed to be smooth. But they can dry out because of the environment. Or if you have certain conditions or take medications that cause skin dryness. Some places in some countries, they have to worry about dry skin for much of the year. In the summer, or whenever it's hot, you're more likely to wear open shoes or sandals. And that's a big problem for y...
Read more

Sales Manager

Image
  About the job The candidate must be a B.Sc degree holder in Marketing, Economics or Business Administration with at least 5 years post NYSC experience. Professional qualification will be an added advantage. 2. The candidate must be computer literate/ savvy, highly versatile with social media platforms and digital marketing 3. Must be well experience in the area of publication, distributions and sales of books 4. Must understand the business environment of publishing, distributions and be able to work hard to drive sales and business expansion 5. Must possess good leadership, communication and presentation/analytical and report writing skills 6. Must be able to set, meet sales target and increase customers portfolio 7. Ability to multitask and prioritize daily and weekly workload Salary including commission is very attractive. Interested candidates should send their application and resume to: info@visiondrivers.com Deadline for submission is Thursday, 17th, February 2022.
Read more