macrophage

American  

[mak-ruh-feyj] / ˈmæk rəˌfeɪdʒ /

noun

Cell Biology.

1. a large white blood cell, occurring principally in connective tissue and in the bloodstream, that ingests foreign particles and infectious microorganisms by phagocytosis.

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macrophage British  

/ ˈmækrəʊˌfeɪdʒ, ˌmækrəʊˈfædʒɪk /

noun

1. any large phagocytic cell occurring in the blood, lymph, and connective tissue of vertebrates See also histiocyte

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macrophage Scientific  

/ măk′rə-fāj′ /

1. Any of various large white blood cells that play an essential immunologic role in vertebrates and some lower organisms by eliminating cellular debris and particulate antigens, including bacteria, through phagocytosis. Macrophages develop from circulating monocytes that migrate from the blood into tissues throughout the body, especially the spleen, liver, lymph nodes, lungs, brain, and connective tissue. Macrophages also participate in the immune response by producing and responding to inflammatory cytokines.

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Other Word Forms

• macrophagic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of macrophage

From the New Latin word macrophagus, dating back to 1885–90. See macro-, -phage

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

macrophage

"This occurs in a very rapid fashion. You can activate the macrophage and make the muscle twitch subtly almost immediately," Jankowski says.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 24, 2025

Using advanced machine learning, the team examined thousands of macrophage gene expression profiles taken from both healthy colon tissue and tissue affected by IBD.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025

"We found the SWI/SNF variants each serve a unique, important purpose in reorganizing chromatin across the genome and enabling macrophage inflammatory responses," says first author Jingwen Liao, a graduate student in Hargreaves' lab.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2024

Each macrophage contains a set of identity-forming instructions encoded in strands of DNA, which are wrapped around protein complexes called histones and then wound into a 3D structure called chromatin.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2024

The other form of amoeboid cell, which Metschnikoff calls the macrophage, has more feeble phagocytic action towards bacteria, and these are rarely found enclosed within them.

From Disease and Its Causes by Councilman, William Thomas