Mast cell
Cell found in connective tissue / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Mast cell?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
A mast cell (also known as a mastocyte or a labrocyte[1]) is a resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin. Specifically, it is a type of granulocyte derived from the myeloid stem cell that is a part of the immune and neuroimmune systems. Mast cells were discovered by Paul Ehrlich in 1877.[2] Although best known for their role in allergy and anaphylaxis, mast cells play an important protective role as well, being intimately involved in wound healing, angiogenesis, immune tolerance, defense against pathogens, and vascular permeability in brain tumors.[3][4]
Mast cell | |
---|---|
Details | |
System | Immune system |
Identifiers | |
Latin | mastocytus |
MeSH | D008407 |
TH | H2.00.03.0.01010 |
FMA | 66784 |
Anatomical terms of microanatomy |
The mast cell is very similar in both appearance and function to the basophil, another type of white blood cell. Although mast cells were once thought to be tissue-resident basophils, it has been shown that the two cells develop from different hematopoietic lineages and thus cannot be the same cells.[5]