Granulocyte | |
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![]() 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.