Macrophages and phagocytes

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

Can anyone tell me the difference between a macrophage and a phagocyte?

[tryin2]

Macrophage is a white blood cell derived from a monocyte that leaves circulation and enters tissues. These cells are important in nonspecific phagocytosis and in regulating,stimulating and cleaning up after immune responses.

Phagocytosis is a type of endocytosis in which the cell membrane activley engulfs large particle or cells into vesicles.

Macrophage:King of the Phagocytes

After emigrating out of the bloodstream in the tissues, monocytes are transformed by various imflammatory mediators into macrophages.

All macrophages retain the capacity to move about.

Phagocytosis literally means the engulfment of particles by cells

If you can give more specific on what you need maybe I can help.

[farishtaRN]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phagocyte

http://www.cellsalive.com/mac.htm

Here are a couple of sources that you might want to check out. Hope they are helpful!

[tryin2]

you can also check out this link to see if it gets you anywhere

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072552980/student_view0/chapter14/

wonderful website:

http://student.ccbcmd.edu/courses/bio141/lecguide/unit2/innate/phagooverview.html

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

Thanks for the resources!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

This is my understanding of them as simply as I can make it:

Pathogens are attacked by phagocytes, which are WBCs that engulf and destroy pathogens by phagocytosis. The most common type of phagocyte is the neutrophil. 50 to 70 percent of the white blood cells in the body are neutrophils. Neutrophils circulate freely through blood vessels, and they can squeeze between cells in the walls of a capillary to reach the site of an infection. They then engulf and destroy any pathogens they encounter.

Another type of phagocyte is the macrophage, they consume and destroy any pathogens they encounter, they also rid the body of worn out cells and cellular debris. Some macrophages are stationed in the tissues of the body, awaiting pathogens, while others move through the tissues and seek out pathogens.

[Kaiserstudent]

Its not so much that there IS a difference.

The Macrophage ( large eater) just falls under the catagory OF a phagocyte (eater cell)

make sense????

They are just trying to trick us!!

=)

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

That's what I thought, Kaiser. So what are some other types of phagocytes, other than macrophages?

[BoonersmomRN]

Neutrophils and Macrophages ( from monocytes) are the circulating bloodstream phagocytes. Monocytes turn into macrophages when they leave the bloodstream and enter the tissues.

Fixed macrophages in organs go by different names but are phagocytic..like the Kupfer cells in the liver and reticular cells in the lymph nodes/spleen/bone marrow. There are other fixed macrophages as well but I am pulling a brain blank on their names right now.