Hematology Lab

Welcome to the Hematology Laboratory!

In this lab you will explore the role of blood in your body. You'll learn what blood is made of and its importance in keeping your body healthy. When someone smokes or chews tobacco, harmful chemicals go into the blood. You'll learn about some of those chemicals and what they can do to your blood and to your body. Then you can decide if using tobacco is worth the risk to your health!

What is Hematology?

Have you ever had your blood taken at the doctor's office or hospital? You probably wondered what they were going to do with it. Your blood was collected and put in a clear tube. Then it was taken to a hematology laboratory. Hematologists study the blood and bone marrow. Bone marrow is inside your bones, and some of the things that make up your blood are created there. You should learn more about blood, before investigating the effects of tobacco.

When your blood is taken to the hematology laboratory, the technicians look at your blood under a microscope. They look at and count your red and white blood cells and your platelets. Hematologists look at the shapes of the cells to determine if they are healthy. They also compare the number of cells to the amount of plasma (the liquid part) in your blood stream. Three measurements that are taken are the, red blood cell count, white blood cell count, and hematocrit.