#monocytes

as some of you know by now, i'm in college to become a laboratory technologist, and one of my duties is to look at blood under a microscope and identify white blood cells. the reason we do this is because there are different types of white blood cells and if there's an elevation/decrease in the amount of a certain type of white blood cell, it can tell us what's going on with you.

that being said... out of the different types, which one do you think is the most attractive? i can't talk about this with my peers because they're all normal people and that's stupid so i come to you guys.

1. Neutrophils (top left) - These guys are the most common. I see them a lot, they're kinda boring to look at, and they're nowhere near as complicated as lymphocytes, so they're personally my least favorite. But they're very good at their job, hard workers. If you have more than usual, you might have a bacterial infection.

2. Lymphocytes (top right) - Second most common. They can be little cutie patooties when they wanna be. They're the smallest white blood cells, but they're also one of the most complicated. They like to boss the other white blood cells around with antibodies and chemical messages. They also have memory and recognition skills so they can target specific stuff. If you have an elevated amount you're either a child or have a viral infection. Virus x Lymphocyte toxic yaoi because they have to kiss (touch) in order for the lymphocyte to recognize the virus and kill it.

3. Basophils (middle left) - Everyone's favorite in my class. We rarely come across them, which is a good thing because if we see any more than 10 out of 100 white blood cells, it can be a sign of an autoimmune disorder. But they're pretty cool-looking because they're just big ol' blue splotches. That's because they have destructive granules inside them to destroy stuff. They're also kinda anxiety-ridden, they're the ones that cause inflammation and tell everything in your body to freak tf out. I relate to them.

4. Eosinophils (middle right) - My personal crush. I can't find a picture that properly shows how orange and pretty they are compared to everything else. Those orange granules inside them are used to destroy their prey, which is my personal favorite type of infection: parasites. They also can be a sign of an allergic reaction. They are basophil's level-headed boyfriend because they inhibit inflammation and tell them to chill tf out. Real stand-up fellas, I'd let them hold my drink at a party.

5. Monocytes (bottom) - My second favorite. They're the biggest of the white blood cells and they're submissive. By that I mean they can destroy stuff if they want to, but they prefer to grab the intruder and present it to somebody else for destruction (usually lymphocytes) like a knight kneeling before their master after a successful crusade. Lymphocyte x Virus x Monocyte toxic love triangle. They just like me fr.

Another amazing post and explanation. Just click iee on Twitter.

COVID-19 has profoundly impacted global health, economies, and daily life. The disease can lead to multi-organ complications and long-term health issues, now officially named "Long COVID.". The damage of Long COVID can persist from months to years and include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive issues, and organ damage[1][4][7].

The Role of Monocytes in COVID-19

Chronic Tonsillitis

Monocyte, Microlith, Mineral?

Every breath can be a struggle if you have the rare lung disease pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis. It’s caused by a faulty protein in the membranes of cells that line alveoli, tiny air sacs that fill your lungs. This causes mineral structures called hydroxyapatite microliths to form inside alveoli. Researchers now investigate this process by analysing RNA – a marker for gene activity – in lung tissue from human patients and a mouse model of the disease. Looking at immune cells called monocytes, which can develop into bone-degrading cells called osteoclasts, the team found that osteoclast-related genes were activated in alveolar monocytes. They also found that microliths, pictured using scanning electron microscopy at different resolutions in human (top) and mouse (bottom) lung tissue, contained osteoclast enzymes. This suggests that in response to microliths forming, osteoclast-like cells kickstart into action. This may present a new research avenue for pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis therapies.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

Image adapted from work by Yasuaki Uehara and colleagues

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Nature Communications, March 2023

-- a type of white blood cell

-- two types

Lymphocytes -- round nucleus -- cytoplasm forms a thin ring around the nucleus -- 6 to 14 um in diameter

MONOCYTES

Characteristics:

*sounds like darth vader

*becomes macrophages