Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Dust cell
Introduction
A dust cell (or alveolar macrophage) is a type of macrophage found in the pulmonary alveolus, near the pneumocytes, but separated from the wall.
Activity of the dust cells is relatively high, because they are located at one of the major boundaries between the body and the outside world.
Dust cells are another name for monocyte derivatives in the lungs that reside on respiratory surfaces and clean off particles such as dust or microorganisms.
Dust cells are frequently seen to contain granules of inorganic material such as carbon that they have picked up from respiratory surfaces. Such black granules may be especially common in smoker’s lungs or long-term city dwellers.
External links
- Template:EMedicineDictionary
- Histology image: 13906loa – Histology Learning System at Boston University – “Respiratory System: lung (human), alveolar macrophages”
- Template:Dorlands
- Histology at KUMC resp-resp16 “Alveoli”
- Slide at uchc.edu
- Slide at ufl.edu
Editor-In-Chief: Template:WikiDoc Cardiology News C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]