When white blood cells ATTACK

Every second your body is silently working hard to protect you from infection and disease.

White blood cells are an important component of your blood system, which is also made up of red blood cells, platelets, and plasma. Although your white blood cells account for only about 1% of your blood, their impact is significant. White blood cells, also called leukocytes, are essential for good health and protection against illness and disease.

And now this powerful process has been caught in a timelapse that reveals just how aggressive white blood cells can be. In the footage, the cells launch a synchronised attack on a worm with military-style precision.

The timelapse footage was captured by Steven Rosen and his colleagues at UC San Francisco over a period of 80 minutes. It shows white blood cells from a mouse attacking a worm known as Caenorhabditis elegans. The black lump in the top right was debris used as a control sample.