There are several diffrent kinds of white cells. Most are larger than the red cells, and they all have a nucleus. There is 1 white cell to every 600 red cells and they are made in the same bone marrow that makes red cells. Many of them undergo a process of maturation and development in the thymus gland, lymph nodes or spleen the two most numerous types of white cells are phagocytes and lymphcytes. 
Whenever a germ or infection enters the body, the white blood cells snap to attention and race toward the scene of the crime. The white blood cells are continually on the lookout for signs of disease. When a germ does appear, the white blood cells have a variety of ways by which they can attack. Some will produce protective antibodies that will overpower the germ. Others will surround and devour the bacteria.
The white blood cells have a rather short life cycle, living from a few days to a few weeks. A drop of blood can contain anywhere from 7,000 to 25,000 white blood cells at a time. If an invading infection fights back and persists, that number will significantly increase.
A consistently high number of white blood cells is a symptom of Leukemia, a cancer of the blood. A Leukemia patient may have as many as 50,000 white blood cells in a single drop of blood.