A Note on the Biological Functions and Activities of Eosinophils

Abstract

Eosinophils are a class of white blood cells named after the ability of their cytoplasmic granules to take up the acidic part of the Romanowsky group of stains. Eosinophils are primarily produced in the bone marrow during the process of leucopoiesis—the production of white blood cells. After maturation, the white blood cell subsets with bilobed nuclei, and pinkish eosinophilic cytoplasmic granules are released into the circulation. From here, they migrate to various parts of the body. The drumstick appendage possessed by eosinophil of females is the only but striking distinguishing feature between eosinophils from both genders. Eosinophils produce various cytokines that activate other blood cells in the inflammatory response, wound healing, and hemopoiesis. The presence of eosinophils in some tissues where they do not normally reside as well as their increase in population in tissues where they can be found signify parasitic infection. This may not confirm a diagnosis but will nonetheless be a pointer toward the direction of confirming or ruling out a diagnosis. Their presence or population can also be used in assessing the severity as well as monitoring the progress of the parasitic infection.