MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Hi guys, can someone tell me what type of cells these are. I did a simple finger prick blood smear.
There are lots of these cells and there seems to be granules inside of each one.

Thanks.

http://postimg.org/image/fs22u6e4p/
http://postimg.org/image/ec6vfvve7/

Link to a thread about texts on haematology and pathology: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1510&p=11483&hilit=blood#p11483

Based on your description (lots and granules), those are most likely neutrophils:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrophil_granulocyte

You may see quite some lymphocytes in blood too, but each lymphocyte should have a single big nucleus (whereas in neutrophils, you would see separate small lobes of nucleus): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphocyte

They don't look like any wbc. Look more like burr cells with something inside of them. Not sure what they are

are these crenated red blood cells?

Is this caused by the way the smear is done and is it normal for this to happen?

Depending on how you process the RBCs, you can make them look that way easily by disturbing their membranes.

Certain conditions can cause that too: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinocyte

I don't think you can do accurate ID with those low resolution photos. Some nucleus staining would help. RBCs have no nucleus. Nucleus shape and size of WBCs may tell what they are.

Welcome to the forum by the way!

Thank you very much. I see - I will be getting a new camera soon which will help with the images.

It mentions that staining and drying can also cause these so maybe its a result of drying.

^ Why not just get fresh blood and put it under covet slip, if you are not staining anyway. Let it dry without staining won't help anything.

If your fresh RBCs still look that way when handled correctly, I would suggest seeing a doctor.

Sample handling and microscope operation may be more important than camera in some cases. Your photos do not seem to be in sharp focus and may have too much empty magnification. I am guessing you used 40x objective and magnify the image further with other means?

Using an oil immersion 100x objective should allow you to see RBC or WBC better, if you want photos to be the same size as what you presented plus good resolution.

I realize that I am chiming in a little late here.
Yes, these look like crenated RBCs to me, with a little too much magnification.
Excellent links have been given already to good info on blood slide preparation and staining.
Welcome to the forum, I hope we see more photos from you soon.
CE

These are, without a doubt, echinocytes (aka., crenated cells). This is a common artifact in properly-prepared blood smears of many mammalian species, especially swine and equine. It occurs when red blood cells (RBCs) are exposed to a hypertonic extracellular fluid environment (relative to the normal osmolality of blood plasma, which is ~300 mOsom/L). When extracellular fluid (i.e., plasma) tonicity exceeds RBC intracellular fluid tonicity, water in the RBC intracellular fluid diffuses through the RBC plasma membrane down this concentration gradient, from intracellular to extracellular. This decrease in intracellular fluid volume causes deformation of the normal, mammalian, biconcave-disc-shaped RBC into a crumpled-up, raisin-shaped cell.