Monocytes
Monocytes
Monocytes (/mɒnɵsaɪts/; from the Greek mono, meaning 'single', and cyte, meaning 'cell') are a type of leukocyte, or white blood cell. They are the largest type of leukocyte and can differentiate into macrophages and dendritic cells as the body needs.
Etymology
The term "monocyte" was introduced by the German physician Paul Ehrlich in his classification of blood cells. The word is derived from the Greek words mono, meaning 'single', and cyte, meaning 'cell'.
Function
Monocytes play multiple roles in immune function. Such roles include: replenishing resident macrophages under normal states, and in response to inflammation signals, monocytes can move quickly (approx. 8-12 hours) to sites of infection in the tissues and divide/differentiate into macrophages and dendritic cells to elicit an immune response. Half of them are stored in the spleen.
Related Terms
- Leukocyte: A type of cell found in the blood and lymphatic system.
- Macrophage: A type of white blood cell that engulfs and digests cellular debris, foreign substances, microbes, and cancer cells.
- Dendritic cell: A type of immune cell that processes antigen material and presents it on the surface to other cells of the immune system.
- Paul Ehrlich: A German physician and scientist who worked in the fields of hematology, immunology, and antimicrobial chemotherapy.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Monocytes
- Wikipedia's article - Monocytes
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