Leukocyte
Definition
A leukocyte is a white blood cell involved in immune functions and ordinarily containing a nucleus in humans. Leukocytes can contribute nuclear DNA to a blood-derived sample, but collection, preservation and analytical processing determine what genetic information can actually be recovered.
Related terms
- Cell-Free DNA
- DNA outside intact cells, including fragments in plasma. Collection and processing can change the proportions represented in an extract. The presence of...
- Donor Proposition
- A stated explanation about whose DNA contributed, distinct from how it arrived. A contributor proposition concerns whose genetic material is represented. It...
- Plasma
- The liquid fraction of blood (approximately 55% by volume), containing water, proteins (albumin, immunoglobulins, fibrinogen, clotting factors), electrolytes, glucose, hormones, and dissolved...
- Presumptive Blood Test
- A screening reaction compatible with blood but subject to alternative causes. Substrates and other catalysts can also affect the response. A positive...
Explained in
- Blood as Biological EvidenceA white blood cell, ordinarily nucleated in humans.