<unk> s, usually called<unk> s (or, less commonly, acidophils), are white blood cells of the immune system that are responsible for combating infection and parasites in vertebrates.  They also control mechanisms associated with allergy and asthma.  They are<unk> s that develop in the bone marrow before migrating into blood.
These cells are<unk> ic or 'acid-loving':  Normally transparent, they appear brick-red when stained with eosin, a dye, using the Romanowsky method. The staining is concentrated in small granules within the cellular cytoplasm, which contain many chemical mediators, such as histamine and proteins such as<unk>  peroxidase, RNase, DNases, lipase, plasminogen, and Major Basic Protein. These mediators are released by a process called degranulation following activation of the<unk> , and are toxic to both parasite and host tissues.<unk> s make up about 1-6% of white blood cells, and are about 12-17 micrometers in size. They are found in the medulla and the junction between the cortex and medulla of the thymus, and, in the lower gastrointestinal tract, ovary, uterus, spleen, and lymph nodes, but not in the lung, skin, esophagus, or some other internal organs under normal conditions. The presence of<unk> s in these latter organs is associated with disease.<unk> s persist in the circulation for 8-12 hours, and can survive in tissue for an additional 8-12 days in the absence of stimulation.
Eosinophil granulocyte
Monocyte
Histiocyte
Lymphocyte
Platelet
Dendritic cell
Oocyte
Neutrophil