What am I looking at (blood sample)?

[justcurious]

I just got a optical microscope for the kids and I. Naturally, the first thing I wanted to see was my own blood. I can identify the red and white blood cells, but there are some things floating around that I just can't identify. I'm hoping you guys can help.

First Image:
A: Red blood cell
B: White blood cell
C: What is this?
D: These are bigger than C and lighter. What is it?
E. What are these small bright things?
F. I think this is dirt on something. The same black spots are on all shots. I tried to clean the lenses. Any suggestions? The slides are very clean.
G: What are these dark spots?

Other Images:
Notice how the blood cells in the two images are different? They are from the same slide, yet some areas show stacked red blood cells while others show blood cells that are individual. Why is this?

[Oliver]

The stacking is due to the drying of the blood. Some alternative medicine advocates see in this rouleaux formation (as it is called) some diagnostic value, but there is noscientific evidence for this. The spiky red blood cells are due to osmotic imbalance, as the blood dries. It can also be that some structures are due to ruptured red blood cells, which have spilled their contents, or due to coagulation of the plasma proteins, plus possible dirt on the slide. For properly visualizing the white blood cells, one normally does a staining procedure, this makes the nucleus of the white blood cells visible, and besed on the shape of the nucleus, it is also possible to categorize the white blood cells (somewhite blood cells have multiple lobes).
Oliver

[Andy.H]

Fist of all, this Im writing just for fun and are assuming that you are healthy and will on your own initiative see a physician should that not be the case.

A
Red blood cell (RBC).

B
When looking on blood it is very important how it has been prepared, and as the previous comment states there is the osmotic balance to take in to consideration. About that, in short; the water will go to the salt (witch is the main component of osmosis in the blood), not vice versa! Resulting in: The more salt on the inside of the cell the bigger the cell gets until it break from the internal pressure. More salt outside the cell and the cell will start to shrink and dry up.

Witch is why I believe "B" is a hypo-osmotic RBC in relation to its surrounding.

C
On the other hand I think some of the "C" structures you have seen could be white blood cells (WBC), but to be sure a staining with H&E (hematoxylin eosin) would help you here. You can also try with reddish-juice. The important aspect here is that you need to wash the sample after you have stained them!! Look for a DIY-protocol online for more information about "staining WBC". Most likely "C" are smaller versions of "D" and you can see an intermediate version between normal whole and healthy RBC and "D" if u look at the slide over "D" and left of "C".

WBC
Furthermore do I find it worth mention that in a healthy individual should you only se 1 or maybe 2 WBC in this magnification at once because they are so few in numbers.

D
Most likely are these areas conglomerate of lipids and a protein called albumin and potentially also large amounts of lysed (broken) RBC creating an effect like if u put a drop of milk in one side of puss of water on the table. The RBC are sensitive structures and when you handle the coverglass you can crush them with the edge sliding over the slide. So it is probably not by chance if that "D" is next to the side of then coverglass. Try to put on the cover-glass flat on the slide.

E
I interpenetrate E as being small droplets of fat. Due to the different optic refraction-index between fat and water they create a lens-like object witch even thou almost completely transparent is what you can observe as a small circular object. It is also likely that the object is marginally larger then is seams witch is why one could test this theory with numerous observations to see if they ever are within a certain distance from something else where it not for the 3D dimensional aspect witch gives them the ability to somewhat overlap.

F
Looks like you caught an eyelash, but I cant be sure abut "F" someone else probably knows the potential size of this better.

G
Like previous comment states could this be either dirt or coagulated blood-cloth depending on your preparation of the slides.


Have a good day.

[Peter]

Hi justcurious,
The traditional way of observing blood is with a dried smear stained with Wright's stain, with this method one is able to differentiate between the different types of white blood cell and other extraneous matter.
B looks to me like a red blood cell in some state of deformation.
E could be platelets.
F I am sure is a dust particle, other dark and light spots may be dirt or contamination, even apparently clean slides can prove to be dirty when observed with a microscope.
Good luck and good viewing.
Peter.

[Crater Eddie]

Yes,

A) RBC's or Red Blood Cells
B is a crenated red blood cell, already explained quite well
C are white blood cells
D is probably smashed blood cells
E could be many things, though they might well be platelets
F debris or contamination
G looks like more debris on the slide, somewhat out of focus.

[justcurious]

Thank you! I have a lot to learn.