Neutrophils Encounter

This week in immunology class we have been learning and studying the different types of cells involved in the immune response, specifically we’ve spent a large amount of time studying the white blood cells in our blood. All of the white blood cells work together to fight foreign pathogens and protect the body from disease and infections. During my reading I encountered a fact about the Neutrophil cells that sparked my interest because of how relatable it was to me at the moment. Neutrophils are known as the first responders because they are the first to arrive at the site of infections in response to inflammatory molecules. Neutrophils are also the most abundant of all the white blood cells that circulate throughout the blood. Interestingly enough I found out that Neutrophils are the main cellular component of pus, which made me cringe a little but at the same time it fascinated me to be able to see my very own neutrophils in a sense. I have a random pimple that arose in the area of my stomach (I know such a weird place). At first the pimple was so red and swollen that even a slight touch would irritate it. As the days went by I noticed that the inflammation went down and know thanks to my knowledge about immunology I know that my neutrophils were recruited to this site of inflammation. Not to mention that I can see them at the tip of what is now a small pimple with a little tip of pus. Pus is usually something we cringe about because it is not necessarily the most appealing sight, but I am thankful for the mechanism that is used to make the pus that we think so lightly of. I am thankful that my neutrophils kicked in and that my pimple’s swelling came down and even more importantly that there was no infection afterwards. This is just one example of where I saw immunology outside of the classroom that was very relatable to me. This caused me to look at a simple pimple with educational interest.