as some of you know by now, i'm in college to become a laboratory technologist, and one of my duties is to look at blood under a microscope and identify white blood cells. the reason we do this is because there are different types of white blood cells and if there's an elevation/decrease in the amount of a certain type of white blood cell, it can tell us what's going on with you.

that being said... out of the different types, which one do you think is the most attractive? i can't talk about this with my peers because they're all normal people and that's stupid so i come to you guys.

1. Neutrophils (top left) - These guys are the most common. I see them a lot, they're kinda boring to look at, and they're nowhere near as complicated as lymphocytes, so they're personally my least favorite. But they're very good at their job, hard workers. If you have more than usual, you might have a bacterial infection.

2. Lymphocytes (top right) - Second most common. They can be little cutie patooties when they wanna be. They're the smallest white blood cells, but they're also one of the most complicated. They like to boss the other white blood cells around with antibodies and chemical messages. They also have memory and recognition skills so they can target specific stuff. If you have an elevated amount you're either a child or have a viral infection. Virus x Lymphocyte toxic yaoi because they have to kiss (touch) in order for the lymphocyte to recognize the virus and kill it.

3. Basophils (middle left) - Everyone's favorite in my class. We rarely come across them, which is a good thing because if we see any more than 10 out of 100 white blood cells, it can be a sign of an autoimmune disorder. But they're pretty cool-looking because they're just big ol' blue splotches. That's because they have destructive granules inside them to destroy stuff. They're also kinda anxiety-ridden, they're the ones that cause inflammation and tell everything in your body to freak tf out. I relate to them.

4. Eosinophils (middle right) - My personal crush. I can't find a picture that properly shows how orange and pretty they are compared to everything else. Those orange granules inside them are used to destroy their prey, which is my personal favorite type of infection: parasites. They also can be a sign of an allergic reaction. They are basophil's level-headed boyfriend because they inhibit inflammation and tell them to chill tf out. Real stand-up fellas, I'd let them hold my drink at a party.

5. Monocytes (bottom) - My second favorite. They're the biggest of the white blood cells and they're submissive. By that I mean they can destroy stuff if they want to, but they prefer to grab the intruder and present it to somebody else for destruction (usually lymphocytes) like a knight kneeling before their master after a successful crusade. Lymphocyte x Virus x Monocyte toxic love triangle. They just like me fr.

We will bring the floods, the pain and the violence

We’ll summon the soldiers of russet and violet

To sound the sirens and slay the giant

And when the battle is over, in the damage we’ve wrought

We’ll call upon the sentinels

Basophils — Underestimated players in lung development

IMAGE: This is a lightsheet image of mouse lung stained for different cell types and structures. Blue = bronchi, green = macrophages, red = basophiles. view more 

Credit: MedUni Wien/Anastasiya Hladik

(Rehovot/Vienna) Lungs are vital organs required for the uptake of oxygen in exchange for carbon dioxide. However, the enormous complexity of the respiratory organ is often…