phagocyte's Usage Examples:

Regulated expression and release of the IL-1 decoy receptor in human mononuclear phagocytes.

They also appear to have in certain cases a paralysing action on the cells which act as phagocytes.

mononuclear phagocytes.

Ingestion and dissolution of the Trypanosomes by phagocytes has frequently been observed; and it is probable also that the haematopoietic organs secrete some substance which exerts a harmful action on the parasites, and causes them to undergo involution and assume weird-looking " amoeboid " and " plasmodial " forms.

The vanguard of this advancing army is composed of a more or less compact layer of the mono-nuclear phagocytes (polyblasts) accompanied by numerous new vessels.

This is accomplished by a twofold agency, for while numbers of them are seized upon by the granulation phagocytes, others are broken up and dissolved by the liquid filling the granulation interspaces (Afanassieff).

It has, however, been demonstrated that the senile whitening of human hair is due to the presence of phagocytes, which devour the pigment-bodies; and from microscopic observations recently made by the French naturalist Dr E.

This allows the phagocytes to begin engulfing and destroying the organism.

Under the influence of exposure to intense cold a small mammal has been observed to turn white in a single night, just as the human hair has been known to blanch suddenly under the influence of intense emotion, and in both cases extreme activity of the phagocytes is apparently the inducing cause.

Though this may dishearten the systematist, Scourfield (1900) reminds us that " It was in a water-flea that Metschni koff first saw the leucocytes (or phagocytes) trying to get rid of disease germs by swallowing them, and was so led to his epochmaking discovery of the part played by these minute amoeboid corpuscles in the animal body.

He also showed that the development of artificial immunity is attended by the appearance of phagocytosis; also, when an anti-serum is injected into an animal, the phagocytes which formerly were indifferent might move towards and destroy the bacteria.

Then as regards natural powers of destroying bacteria, phagocytosis aided by chemiotaxis plays a part, and it can be understood that an animal whose phagocytes are attracted by a particular bacterium will have an advantage over one in which this action is absent.

When phagocytes encounter an invading organism, they surround and engulf it in order to destroy it.