Basophils are a type of white blood cell. These cells are extremely rare, accounting for less than one percent of the white blood cells in the body at any given time. They are also not very well understood, despite the best efforts of researchers interested in blood components. Although the basic mechanism of basophils and what they do in the body has been studied, many researchers suspect that there is more to these cells than meets the eye, and several studies investigating the details of these cells have been conducted to learn more about them. they. .
These cells are part of a family of white blood cells known as granulocytes, named for the distinctive granules of material within their cell membranes. These granules contain information relevant to the immune system and compounds that the immune system uses when responding to infection or inflammation. Among other things, basophils can release histamine and heparin to respond to a suspected infection. The release of the granules is known as degranulation.
The name "basophil" is a reference to the fact that these cells take up dyes and stains very easily, turning a deep purple color when stained with the base dyes used to prepare samples for study and identification. The stain makes the basophils easier to see, because they stand out from a blood sample, even though the stain obscures the internal structures of the cell. Each basophil has a two-lobed nucleus, surrounded by the small granules it carries.
Basophils originate in the bone marrow, where they are created by stem cells. They circulate throughout the body in the bloodstream, with the ability to pass into various tissues as needed. When the immune system detects an infectious agent, basophils respond, along with many other types of white blood cells. Researchers believe that in addition to helping at the site of an infection, these cells also help the body build immunities by storing information that can be used by T cells.
Normal basophil counts can vary, depending on the patient and the situation. In a healthy person, the count is usually very low. In someone with an active infection or allergic response, the number of basophils in the blood may increase, betraying the presence of an infection. High levels of basophils have also been observed in people with asthma, which may be due to the chronic lung inflammations experienced by many people with asthma.