| Granulocyte | |
|---|---|
 Types of granulocytes | |
| Details | |
| System | Immune system |
| Identifiers | |
| MeSH | D006098 |
| FMA | 62854 |
| Anatomical terms of microanatomy | |
Granulocytes are cells in the innate immune system characterized by the presence of specific granules in their cytoplasm.[1] Such granules distinguish them from the various agranulocytes. All myeloblastic granulocytes are polymorphonuclear, that is, they have varying shapes (morphology) of the nucleus (segmented, irregular; often lobed into three segments); and are referred to as polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN, PML, or PMNL). In common terms, polymorphonuclear granulocyte refers specifically to "neutrophil granulocytes",[2] the most abundant of the granulocytes; the other types (eosinophils, basophils, and mast cells) have varying morphology. Granulocytes are produced via granulopoiesis in the bone marrow.
- ^ WebMD (2009). "granulocyte". Webster's New World Medical Dictionary (3rd ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-544-18897-6.
- ^ WebMD (2009). "leukocyte, polymorphonuclear". Webster's New World Medical Dictionary (3rd ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 244. ISBN 978-0-544-18897-6.