= Leukocyte
= White blood cell
{synonym}
A <leukocyte>, or white <blood> <cell>, is a <biological cell> involved in immune defence. The category includes <lymphocytes> and <cells> such as <macrophages> and <neutrophils>, whose recognition and effector mechanisms differ. Many <leukocytes> circulate in <blood> but act within <tissues>, so a <blood> count samples only part of their distribution. Unlike the name might suggest, the category describes cellular identity rather than requiring a visibly white individual <cell>. <Immunobiology: The Immune System in Health and Disease, 5th edition by Charles A. Janeway, Jr. and others>[Chapter 1, The Components of the Immune System]{ref}
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