That's a good question. I can imagine that there was a time before there was life on Earth, and then clearly there was a time X-hundred thousand years or a million years later when there were things that we would all recognize as biological.
A high count indicates the presence of inflammation in the body. Because white blood cells are calculated by the number of cells per volume of blood, test results can vary between labs. Different labs use different degrees of measurements for the white blood cell count.
Quick Answer. Infections and inflammation usually cause high white blood cell counts, according to the American Association for Clinical Chemistry. The elevated count can be also be attributed to allergic responses, severe stress and pregnancy. Medications such as corticosteroids and epinephrine boost white blood cells as well, according to the Mayo Clinic.