Neutrophil


 * 1) any cell or tissue that manifests no special affinity for acid or basic dyes, so that the cytoplasm stains approximately equally with either type of dye
 * 2) the most abundant type of white blood cell in the granulocytic series, formed by bone marrow and released into the circulating blood

Description
Neutrophils normally represent from 54–65% of the total number of leukocytes and are critical to the uptake (phagocytosis) of pathogens and affected cells. In the acute phase of inflammation they can leave the blood stream to act locally, where they might accumulate to become the main cellular constituent of pus. When stained, neutrophils are characterized by: a) a nucleus that is dark purple-blue and lobated; b) a cytoplasm that is faintly pink and contains numerous fine pink or violet-pink granules. The precursors of neutrophils in order of increasing maturity, are: myeloblasts, promyelocytes, myelocytes, metamyelocytes, and band forms See leukocyte, leukocytosis