Final answer:
The study and classification of blood's formed elements, such as erythrocytes, leukocytes, and thrombocytes in a blood smear, is a part of hematology. This involves counting and identifying the cell types to assess whether the distribution is normal, which is important for diagnosing medical conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The study of the formed elements of blood, which includes red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and platelets (thrombocytes), falls under the field of hematology. This study may involve a test called a hematocrit, which separates these elements from the liquid plasma for analysis by centrifugation. When studying a blood smear, you might use a methodical approach to classify and count the different cell types present. This can involve constructing a table for leukocyte types and making a mark for each cell type identified, aiming to classify a significant number of cells to determine whether they represent a normal distribution.
The knowledge of cell types is crucial, not just for recognizing normal and abnormal conditions in a blood smear but also for understanding the immune response, given that leukocytes are among the key players in the body's defense mechanism.