Granulocyte

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Eosinophil granulocyte

Basophil granulocyte

Granulocytes are a category of white blood cells characterised by the presence of granules in their cytoplasm. They are also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN or PML) because of the varying shapes of the nucleus, which is usually lobed into three segments. In common parlance, the term polymorphonuclear leukocyte often refers specifically to neutrophil granulocytes, the most abundant of the granulocytes.

1 Classificiation
2 Pathology
3 Additional images
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Classificiation

There are three types of granulocytes, distinguished by their appearance under Wright's stain:

Their names are derived from their staining characteristics; for example, the most abundant granulocyte is the neutrophil granulocyte, which has neutrally-staining cytoplasmic granules.

Other white blood cells which are not granulocytes ("agranulocytes") are mainly lymphocytes and monocytes.

[edit] Pathology

Granulocytopenia is an abnormally low concentration of granulocytes in the blood. This condition reduces the body's resistance to many infections. Closely-related terms include agranulocytosis and neutropenia.

A granuloma is a tumor containing granulocytes, and a "granulomatosis" is a necrotizing granuloma.

[edit] Additional images

Blood cell lineage

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

v • d • e</span> Blood - Blood plasma
Pluripotential hemopoietic stem cells \| Red blood cells (Reticulocyte, Normoblast) \| White blood cells
Lymphoid
T cells (Cytotoxic, Helper, Regulatory T cells, Natural Killer T cells) \| B cells (Plasma cells & Memory B cells) \| Natural killer cells
Myeloid
Granulocytes (Neutrophil, Eosinophil, Basophil) \| Mast cell precursors \| Monocytes (Histiocyte, Macrophages, Dendritic cells, Langerhans cells, Microglia, Kupffer cells, Osteoclasts) \| Megakaryoblast \| Megakaryocyte \| Platelets