macrophage
Sign in to saveMacrophages (; abbreviated Mφ, MΦ or MP) are a type of white blood cell of the innate immune system that engulf and digest pathogens, such as cancer cells, microbes, cellular debris and foreign substances, which do not have proteins that are specific to healthy body cells on their surface. This self-protection method can be contrasted with that employed by Natural Killer cells. This process of engulfment and digestion is called phagocytosis; it acts to defend the host against infection and injury.
AI overview
Macrophages are white blood cells that act as cleanup crews in your immune system, engulfing and digesting harmful invaders like bacteria, cancer cells, and debris that don't belong in your body. This process, called phagocytosis, is crucial for protecting you against infections and injuries.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Cell.Name
- Macrophage
- Cell.Latin
- macrophagocytus
- Cell.Image
- Cytology of a macrophage.png
- Cell.Caption
- Cytology of a macrophage with typical features. Wright stain.
- Cell.System
- Immune system
- Cell.Function
- Phagocytosis
- Cell.Pronunciation
- /ˈmakrə(ʊ)feɪdʒ/
- Cell.Acronym
- Mφ, MΦ
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
40 sectionsContents
- Structure
- Types
- Development
- Function
- Phagocytosis
- Role in innate immune response
- Phagocytosis of pathogens
- Chemical secretion
- Role in adaptive immunity
- Interactions with CD4<sup>+</sup> T Helper Cells
- Activation
- Classical
- Alternative
- Interactions with CD8<sup>+</sup> cytotoxic t cells
- Interactions with B cells
- Subtypes
- Role in muscle regeneration
- Role in wound healing
- Role in limb regeneration
- Role in iron homeostasis
- Role in pigment retainment
- Role in tissue homeostasis
- Nerve-associated macrophages
- Clinical significance
- As a host for intracellular pathogens
- Tuberculosis
- Leishmaniasis
- Chikungunya
- Others
- Heart disease
- HIV infection
- Cancer
- Cancer therapy
- Obesity
- Intestinal macrophages
- Role in disease
- Media
- History
- See also
- References
Macrophages (; abbreviated Mφ, MΦ or MP) are a type of white blood cell of the innate immune system that engulf and digest pathogens, such as cancer cells, microbes, cellular debris and foreign substances, which do not have proteins that are specific to healthy body cells on their surface. This self-protection method can be contrasted with that employed by Natural Killer cells. This process of engulfment and digestion is called phagocytosis; it acts to defend the host against infection and injury.
Macrophages are found in essentially all tissues, where they patrol for potential pathogens by amoeboid movement. They take various forms (with various names) throughout the body (e.g., histiocytes, Kupffer cells, alveolar macrophages, microglia, and others), but all are part of the mononuclear phagocyte system. Besides phagocytosis, they play a critical role in nonspecific defense (innate immunity) and also help initiate specific defense mechanisms (adaptive immunity) by recruiting other immune cells such as lymphocytes. For example, they are important as antigen presenters to T cells. In humans, dysfunctional macrophages cause severe diseases such as chronic granulomatous disease that result in frequent infections.