List of abbreviations		 Vocabulary
of micros-
copic
anatomy
specialist terms
explained in
English +
German

Every attempt was made to provide correct information and labelling, however any liability for eventual errors or incompleteness is rejected!
dieser Seite

Editor:
Dr. med.
H. Jastrow
Conditions
of use
Overview macrophages (Macrophagocyti):
Pages with explanations are linked to the text below the images if available! (Labelling is in German)
macrophage with large phagolysosome in con-
nective tissue of lamina propria in stomach (rat)		 detail thereof:
phagolysosome 1		  detail 2
phagolysosome 2		 detail 2
phagolysosome 3
macrophage, Tela
submucosa gastrici (rat)		 detail 1: primary
lysosomes		 detail 2: hetero-
lysosome
macrophage of the
spleen 1 (monkey)		 macrophage of the
spleen 2 (monkey)		 detail 1 of macrophage
spleen 2 (monkey)		 detail 2 of macrophage
spleen 2 (monkey)		 macrophage of the
spleen 3 (monkey)		 macrophage in loose connective tissue
= histiocyte (rat)		 macrophage with hetero-
lysosomes spleen (rat)
peritoneal 
macrophages (rat)		 peritoneal-
macrophage 1 (rat)		 peritoneal-
macrophage 2 (rat)		 alveolarmacrophage with primary
and secondary lysosomes (rat)		 detail 1: primary lysosome of this
alveolarmacrophage		 detail 2 showing se-
condary lysosome		 macrophage from
thymus (rat)
Macrophages (Terminologia histologica: Macrophagocyti) are cells that "eat" extracellular particles. They are of importance for defense of bacteria and remove foreign bodies, substances and molecules.
They further serve for destruction of abnormal cells (tumor, virus infected or overaged cells) e.g., in spleen for elimination of overaged red blood cells which are poor in distorsion. The macrophages grasp particles with their mobile processes (pseudopods) and draw them into their interior whereby the get a limiting membrane deriving form the cell membrane. This procedure is called phagocytosis. Incorporated particles are called phagosomes or endosomes or in case they have more than one layer of outer membrane coat phagophores. Lysosomes fuse with the endosomes to form heterolysosomes = phagolysosomes and their enzymes begin to destruct the content. Phagocytosis is evoked when surface antigens of particles (e.g., viral coat proteins) get in contact with the cell membrane of pseudopods of macrophages. By their mobility one can distinguish either resting macrophages (Terminologia histologica: Macrophagocyti sessiles) or wandering macrophages also called histiocytes (Terminologia histologica: Macrophagocyti mobiles).

--> connective tissue, free cells in connective tissue, blood cells, mast cells, plasma cells, pseudopods, lysosomes, heterolysosomes, phagocytosis
--> Electron microscopic atlas Overview
--> Homepage of the workshop

Some images were kindly provided by Dr. E. Schiller or Prof. H. Wartenberg; other images, page & copyright H. Jastrow.