White blood cells (WBCs), also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are the cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and derived from multipotent cells in the bone marrow known as hematopoietic stem cells.
Nicotine dependence is now recognized as a psychoactive substance dependence disorder (DSM-IV, ICD-10). Under the DSM-IV criteria smokers are classified as dependent if they exhibit impaired control and continue to smoke despite awareness that it exacerbates a medical condition, and if they experience withdrawal symptoms when abstaining from smoking, or if they have a history of unsuccessful attempts at quitting.
What are the five axes of DSM-IV? Axis 1 describes clinical disorders and other conditions which may be a focus of clinical attention.. These are typically problems that require immediate attention from a clinician. Axis 2 focuses on personality disorders and contains a rating scale for mental retardation.