Meet the clean-up crew of your body! Macrophages are big, blobby cells that gobble up germs and old, worn-out cells.
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The name macrophage means big eater. That's a great name, because eating is their main job!
Macrophages are a kind of white blood cell. Many start out in your blood. Then they squeeze out into your body and grow bigger.
Macrophages are much bigger than red blood cells. They can be several times wider!
A macrophage does not have a mouth. Here is how it eats:
Scroll up to the 3D model and press Reach out, then Gobble the germ. Press Cut it open to see the germ inside!
Macrophages don't just eat germs. They also clean up old, worn-out cells and bits of junk, so your body stays tidy.
After eating a germ, a macrophage can show pieces of it to T cells. It's like saying, "Look out for this one!" It also sends out signals that call more defenders to help.
Every day, macrophages in your spleen and liver eat lots of old red blood cells. They even save the iron inside, so your body can use it again to make new ones!
By Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. Good for older kids.
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