basophil
Meaning of basophil: Basophils are the least common white blood cell type, releasing histamine and other chemicals that help drive allergic reactions and certain inflammatory responses.
Definition of basophil
A basophil is a type of white blood cell that belongs to a group called granulocytes, cells identifiable under the microscope by granules within their cytoplasm. Basophils are the least common type of white blood cell circulating in the blood.
The granules within a basophil contain chemicals, including histamine, that are released when the cell is activated, contributing to the redness, swelling, and itching associated with allergic reactions. Basophils are also involved in the body's response to certain parasitic infections.
Because basophils release many of the same chemical signals involved in asthma and allergic conditions, their number and activity are sometimes considered alongside other white blood cell types, such as eosinophils, when evaluating a person's allergic or inflammatory response, though basophils normally make up only a small fraction of total white blood cells.
Used in a sentence
The complete blood count showed a basophil count within the normal range.
Good to know
Basophils make up only a small fraction of circulating white blood cells, so a change in basophil count is often interpreted alongside other white blood cell types rather than in isolation.
Word origin
Where “basophil” comes from
Formed from Greek basis, meaning base, and philos, meaning loving, describing the cell's granules, which readily take up basic dyes used in laboratory staining.