Canadian Medical Guide > Anatomy > Cells > Connective Tissue Cells > Macrophages Terms and Definitions




Macrophages

Medical Definition: The relatively long-lived phagocytic cell of mammalian tissues that are derived from blood MONOCYTES. Macrophages from different sites have distinctly different properties. Main types are PERITONEAL MACROPHAGES; ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES; HISTIOCYTES; KUPPFER CELLS of the liver; and OSTEOCLASTS. They may further differentiate within chronic inflammatory lesions to EPITHELIOID CELLS or may fuse to form FOREIGN BODY GIANT CELLS or LANGHANS GIANT CELLS. (from The Dictionary of Cell Biology, Lackie and Dow, 3rd ed.)
Guide Notes: macrophage migration test: index under MACROPHAGES /immunol (IM) + CELL MIGRATION INHIBITION (IM)
Macrophages Categories.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Epithelioid Cells - Characteristic cells of granulomatous hypersensitivity. They appear as large, flattened cells with increased endoplasmic reticulum. They are believed to be activated macrophages that have differentiated as a result of prolonged antigenic stimulation. Further differentiation or fusion of epithelioid cells is thought to produce multinucleated giant cells (GIANT CELLS).
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Foam Cells - Lipid-laden macrophages originating from monocytes or from smooth muscle cells.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Giant Cells, Foreign-Body - Multinucleated cells (fused macrophages), characteristic of granulomatous inflammation, which form around exogenous material in the skin. They are similar in appearance to Langhans giant cells (GIANT CELLS, LANGHANS), but foreign-body giant cells have more abundant chromatin and their nuclei are scattered in an irregular pattern in the cytoplasm.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Giant Cells, Langhans - Multinucleated cells (fused macrophages) seen in granulomatous inflammations such as tuberculosis, syphilis, sarcoidosis, and deep fungal infections. They resemble foreign-body giant cells (GIANT CELLS, FOREIGN BODY) but Langhans giant cells contain less chromatin and their nuclei are arranged peripherally in a horseshoe-shaped pattern. Langhans giant cells occur frequently in delayed hypersensitivity.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Histiocytes
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Kupffer Cells - Specialized phagocytic cells of the RETICULOENDOTHELIAL SYSTEM found on the luminal surface of the hepatic sinusoids. They filter bacteria and small foreign proteins out of the blood, and dispose of worn out red blood cells.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Macrophages, Alveolar - Round, granular, mononuclear phagocytes found in the alveoli of the lungs. They ingest small inhaled particles resulting in degradation and presentation of the antigen to immunocompetent cells.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Macrophages, Peritoneal - Mononuclear phagocytes derived from bone marrow precursors but resident in the peritoneum.
Canadian Medical Guide Definition Osteoclasts - A large multinuclear cell associated with the BONE RESORPTION. An odontoclast, also called cementoclast, is cytomorphologically the same as an osteoclast and is involved in CEMENTUM resorption.

Macrophages Medical Definitions and Terms

CANADIAN MEDICAL GUIDE

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