NEUTROPHIL -
Noun: The most important and abundant of the granular white blood cells which protects the body against infection by absorbing and destroying waste or harmful material, such as disease-producing bacteria. Pus consists largely of neutrophils, dead bacteria and dead cells.

The action of neutrophils in "swallowing" bacteria has led to their being called phagocytes (literally eating cell). Neutrophils remain in the blood for only about 6 to 9 hours before moving through blood vessel walls into the tissues, where they survive for a few more days. Neutrophils are produced in the bone marrow by stem cells and move into body tissues and fluids where they do their work. They make up about 50 to 75 percent of the total number of white blood cells. It has a neutral reaction to the staining proceedure with the acid and alkaline dyes, thus it's name.

If you have AA or MDS , when you have your blood tests done, the number of neutrophils is a main area they will be looking at as if this gets too low, you are at a serious risk of infection.

Latin - neuter = not either + (referring to the two basic dyes used to stain cells for viewing)

Greek - philos = loving

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