Which formed element is the least abundant in healthy blood?

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Multiple Choice

Which formed element is the least abundant in healthy blood?

The key idea is that formed elements are the cellular components of blood—the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets—while plasma is the fluid that carries them. In healthy blood, red blood cells are far more numerous than the others, platelets are more numerous than white blood cells, and white blood cells are the least abundant formed element. For context, typical ranges are: red blood cells about 4.5–6 million per microliter, platelets about 150,000–450,000 per microliter, and white blood cells about 4,000–11,000 per microliter. Plasma isn’t a formed element; it’s the liquid portion that makes up most of blood’s volume. Therefore the least abundant formed element is white blood cells.

The key idea is that formed elements are the cellular components of blood—the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets—while plasma is the fluid that carries them. In healthy blood, red blood cells are far more numerous than the others, platelets are more numerous than white blood cells, and white blood cells are the least abundant formed element. For context, typical ranges are: red blood cells about 4.5–6 million per microliter, platelets about 150,000–450,000 per microliter, and white blood cells about 4,000–11,000 per microliter. Plasma isn’t a formed element; it’s the liquid portion that makes up most of blood’s volume. Therefore the least abundant formed element is white blood cells.

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