What is the white blood cell (WBC) count when 36 cells are counted using a 1:10 dilution?

To determine the white blood cell (WBC) count from a counted sample using a dilution, the counting must be adjusted based on the dilution factor. In this case, 36 cells were counted using a 1:10 dilution.

When a sample is diluted, the cell count in the diluted sample must be multiplied by the dilution factor to get the total WBC count in the original sample. Here, the dilution factor is 10, meaning the original concentration of WBCs is ten times greater than what is counted in the diluted sample.

To find the WBC count per liter, we start by calculating the total number of cells in the undiluted sample:

Total WBCs in original sample = counted cells × dilution factor

Total WBCs in original sample = 36 cells × 10 = 360 cells.

Next, when converting this count into a standardized measure, typically, the WBC count is expressed in billions per liter (× 10^9/L). The cell count must be converted from cells in the counted volume (which is usually in microliters) to a count in liters.

Assuming that the counting occurred in a volume of 1 microliter (μL), we convert the count:

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