
Monocytes: These cells are part of your immune system. They attack pathogens, including bacteria and viruses. Lymphocytes: These cells are part of your immune system. The other main types of white blood cells are: They also develop in the bone marrow before moving into your blood. Like basophils and mast cells, they play a role in allergic reactions, asthma, and fighting parasite pathogens. They help fight infections.Įosinophils: These help cells combat parasite infections. Neutrophils: This is the largest group of white blood cells in your body. Basophils play an important role helping your body respond to allergic reactions. Basophils are the smallest in number of granulocytes but the largest in cell size. There are three types of white blood cells, each with its own function to boost your immune system, including granulocytes, monocytes and lymphocytes.īasophils are one of three granulocytes, along with neutrophils and eosinophils. White blood cells help your body fight off infections and illnesses. White blood cells are made inside your bone marrow and can be found in your blood and lymph tissues. What are white blood cells and where do Basophils fit in? The cells then work together to release histamine and serotonin, which affects the inflammatory response to the allergen. Immunoglobulin attaches to basophils and a similar type of cell called mast cells. They also help to produce a crucial antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). This causes the typical allergic reaction of running nose, watering eyes etc. When the body is exposed to an allergen, basophils release histamine which triggers the physical symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Heparin is a naturally occurring blood thinning substance which prevents clotting.īasophils are responsible for the body’s immune response during allergic reactions. This means it widens the blood vessels near an infection to open and allow more blood flow to the site of the infection. During an allergic reaction, histamine is responsible for many of the typical symptoms of allergies, like a runny nose or sneezing. Basophils are the only white blood cells circulating around your body that contain histamine. These small particles are filled with enzymes, like histamine, that are released during allergic reactions. Basophils are also granulocytes, or white blood cells that have granules, or small particles, attached to them. Basophils work closely with your immune system to defend your body from allergens, pathogens and parasites.īasophils have a short life span, usually only one or two days.īasophils are mononuclear cells, so they have one round nucleus. Basophils are a type of white blood cell.
