Medicine & USMLE

Basophils

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Immunology
  1. Innate Immunity
  2. Adaptive Immunity
  3. Macrophages
  4. Neutrophils
  5. Dendritic Cells
  6. Mast Cells
  7. Eosinophils
  8. Basophils
  9. Natural Killer Cells
  10. Antigens
  11. MHC I and II
  12. Antibodies
  13. B Lymphocytes Overview
  14. B Cell Stages
  15. B-Cell Activation
  16. Plasma B-Cells
  17. Memory B-Cells
  18. T-Lymphocytes Overview
  19. T-Cell Stages
  20. Types of Activated T-Cells

Summary

Basophils are white blood cells of the innate immune system that help protect the body generally from infections. They mainly function as granulocytes, or cells that release little pockets of chemicals called granules to help fight infection. Importantly, these granules contain histamine, an inflammatory chemical that makes the surrounding tissue a less friendly place for foreign pathogens to live in.

Key Points

  • Basophils
    • Innate immune cell
    • Granulocyte
      • Basophils can release the contents of their granules, which contain inflammatory chemicals like histamine
        • Histamine released here may play a role in allergic reactions, but less implicated than Mast Cells