Justine was feeling very sick. She went to the doctor, who told her she had a bacterial infection and withdrew blood for blood work. Which component in Justine’s blood would be higher than normal?

White blood cells help the body fight bacterial infections, so their number often rises when an infection is present. Therefore, white blood cells would be higher than normal; platelets, red blood cells, and plasma are not the blood components expected to increase in response to the infection.

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