What are macrophages?
macrophages are a type of white blood cells that eat foreign material in the body. These cells are involved in a primary or congenital immune response to a number of immune attackers and also form an important part of the immune system of the acquired body. At the moment, macrophages work in many corners of the body, quietly cleanse foreign residues, bacteria and viruses before they have a chance to cause a problem. Indeed, the life cycle of macrophage begins with a type of cell called Monocyt, which has the ability to mature in the macrophage when it is stimulated. Some monocytes are carried into specific areas of the body, such as the liver, where they ripen into specialized macrophages that remain in place, while others turn into freely floating macrophages.
In a sense, macrophages are like safety guards for the immune system. Some of them remain in their regular "desks" near areas where foreign material normally enters the body, normally projects materials that pass them to seek things that could be dangerous.Others roam at the patrol and are looking for intruders who may have slipped around other guards.
When a macrophage encounters something that he thinks he could be dangerous, he would absorb it and create enzymes to neutralize it so that it could not continue replication in the body. This process is called phagocytosis , literally "eating cells". Macrophages use phagocytosis to collect antigens that can present for auxiliary T-cells, alert T-cells to the fact that the body is a foreign attacker and evokes an immune response.
Scientists still have some learning with these unique cells. For example, scientists, for example, thought macrophages had damaged the DNA of their victims to prevent them from replication, but studies published in 2009 showed that the enzymes that generate these cells actually work differently. A more study can provide detailed information on how the body reacts to infection and the wayY as immune cells can spoil.
These cool cells can sometimes cause problems in the body. Macrophages are involved in the development of lesions such as granulomas caused by chronic inflammation. These cells play a role in inflammatory processes, so when they become excessively active, they can actually cause harm, rather than simply protect the body from something strange. Some types of cancer seem to be impaired macrophages and these cells can be kidnapped by HIV and used to spread in the body.