Walsh & Hoyt: Origin, Components, and Functions of the Cells of the Mononuclear-Phagocytic System

In this section, we consider disorders that are characterized by an abnormal accumulation or proliferation of the cells of the mononuclear-phagocyte system. Aschoff originally described, under the designation of the ""reticuloendothelial system,"" a widely dispersed system of cells that isolated and destroyed foreign particles and that had an affinity for vital stains of high molecular weight. It was subsequently agreed that these cells, which are characterized by common phagocytic and defense functions, form a rather fixed and permanent network that exists in different forms in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes.