Phagocytosis of latex by neutrophil (peripheral blood, human)

Electron microscopy. The primary function of neutrophilic granulocytes is phagocytosis, ingestion of and destroying microbes or, as shown here, of latex particles. Several electron-light latex particles (1) (with a dense core) are internalized after incubation of free circulating granulocytes with a latex suspension. (2) nuclear lobes; few blunt filopodia (3). There are still abundant primary and secondary granules (4), there is no direct evidence of a degranulation effect as latex particles will be individually internalized but appear very difficult to be degraded by these phagocytes. At (5) a large phagolysosome in which five latex particles are collected. (6) indicates free circulating latex particles.