My Blood

These are amateur photographs made in a general purpose biology lab. They should not be construed as textbook examples.

Discussion: Normal red blood cells (Erythrocytes) are small discs which are thinner in the center than at their rims; they have been likened to plush throw pillows with buttons at the center, or to jelly donuts with the jelly removed. The example slide shows how Spherocytes differ in appearance from normal cells. The thinner center area of normal cells allows better light passage, thus giving a pale region in the middle of the cell geometry. Spherocytes have no such thinner region and accordingly have a uniform intensity across their surface. In fact, they may even be a little bit darker. Also, some spherocytes are smaller in size than corresponding erthrocytes.

In this image, notice the upper cell which is marked is substantially smaller and somewhat darker than neighboring red blood cells. The lower marked cell has a noticeably uniform color across its face, especially when compared to neighboring cells to its left, upper left, immediate right, immediate below, and below left and below right.