ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in the blood and they lead the first wave of host defense to infection or tissue damage. Neutrophils are powerful effector cells that destroy infectious threats through phagocytosis, degranulation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and neutrophil extracellular traps1–3.

Detailed explanation-2: -Neutrophils are the first cells to reach the site of infection, attracted by chemotactic factors such as complement, with their predominant role being phagocytosis.

Detailed explanation-3: -They capture and destroy invading microorganisms, through phagocytosis and intracellular degradation, release of granules, and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps after detecting pathogens. Neutrophils also participate as mediators of inflammation.

Detailed explanation-4: -Neutrophils represent the first line of defence in response to invading microbes, by phagocytosis of pathogens and/or release of antimicrobial factors contained in specialised granules.

Detailed explanation-5: -Some of the cytokines produced by activated macrophages are chemoattractants (known as chemokines). Some of these attract neutrophils, which are the first cells recruited in large numbers to the site of the new infection.