Comparative Morphology, Development, and Function of Blood Cells in Nonmammalian Vertebrates

Much of our knowledge regarding vertebrate blood and blood cells is based on mammalian references. The critical study of nonmammalian vertebrate blood is relatively new, and comparatively few investigations have been published that focus on these animals' ontogeny and structure-function relationships of blood cells. Nonmammalian vertebrates comprise birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes, all of which have a wide range of forms and adaptations. For the clinician, a lack of basic knowledge with these species makes the evaluation of a hemogram more challenging than in mammals. This is a concise review of our current knowledge of comparative morphology that describes routine staining procedures and the development and function of blood cells in nonmammalian vertebrates.