Granulocytes

Granulocytes are types of white blood cells which contain a high level of granules in their cytoplasm. They can be subdivided into three types; neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils, and can be distinguished by the staining of the different granules in each type of cell. Granulocytes are also termed 'polymorphonuclear leukocytes' as they contain a nucleus with varying number of lobes. During an immune response, the number of granulocytes will increase greatly at the site of infection and use different mechanisms that help fight against invading pathogens .