Giant cells
Giant Cells
Giant cells (/ˈdʒaɪənt sɛlz/) are large cells that can be formed by the fusion of macrophages, one of the immune system's types of white blood cells. They are typically found in granulomatous conditions and are a response to certain types of infections or foreign bodies.
Etymology
The term "giant cell" is derived from the Greek words "gigas," meaning "giant," and "kytos," meaning "cell." It was first used in the late 19th century to describe unusually large cells seen in certain pathological conditions.
Types of Giant Cells
There are several types of giant cells, including:
- Langhans giant cell: These are formed from the fusion of macrophages and are characterized by their horseshoe-shaped nuclei. They are often found in conditions such as tuberculosis and sarcoidosis.
- Foreign body giant cell: These are formed in response to foreign material in the body. They have a scattered arrangement of nuclei and are often found in conditions such as granuloma and chronic inflammation.
- Touton giant cells: These are typically found in xanthoma and xanthogranuloma. They are characterized by a ring of nuclei surrounding a central area of foamy cytoplasm.
- Reed–Sternberg cell: These are large, often binucleated cells found in Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Related Terms
- Macrophage: A type of white blood cell that engulfs and digests cellular debris, foreign substances, microbes, and cancer cells in a process called phagocytosis.
- Granuloma: A small area of inflammation in tissue. Granulomas are often associated with an infection or with diseases such as sarcoidosis or tuberculosis.
- Inflammation: A process by which the body's white blood cells and substances they produce protect us from infection with foreign organisms, such as bacteria and viruses.
- Tuberculosis: A potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects your lungs. The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread from one person to another through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes.
- Sarcoidosis: An inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs in the body, but mostly the lungs and lymph glands.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Giant cells
- Wikipedia's article - Giant cells
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