IMMUNOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Macrophages are effector cells of the innate immune system that phagocytose bacteria and secrete both pro-inflammatory and antimicrobial mediators. In addition, macrophages play an important role in eliminating diseased and damaged cells through their programmed cell death.

Detailed explanation-2: -Macrophages may have different names according to where they function in the body. For example, macrophages present in the brain are termed microglia and in the liver sinusoids, they are called Kupffer cells.

Detailed explanation-3: -Macrophages originate from blood monocytes that leave the circulation to differentiate in different tissues. There is a substantial heterogeneity among each macrophage population, which most probably reflects the required level of specialisation within the environment of any given tissue.