Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin (try saying that three times fast) have determined that the NETs are catapulted out of dead or dying neutrophils to capture, siarm, and eventually kill bacteria (the dark purple organisms in the photo).
“To mobilize the DNA and extrude it to catch and kill microbes is a very powerful way to fulfill the neutrophils’ protective role, even after their death,” explains Volker Brinkman, a study leader. Call them the body’s kamikaze fighters.
Wikipedia Definition of a Neutrophil
Neutrophil granulocytes, generally referred to as neutrophils, are the most abundant type of white blood cells in humans and form an integral part of the immune system. Their name arrives from staining characteristics on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) histological or cytological preparations. Whereas basophilic cellular components stain dark blue and eosinophilic components stain bright red, neutrophilic components stain a neutral pink. These phagocytes are normally found in the blood stream. However, during the acute phase of inflammation, particularly as a result of bacterial infection, neutrophils leave the vasculature and migrate toward the site of inflammation in a process called chemotaxis. They are the predominant cells in pus, accounting for its whitish/yellowish appearance. Neutrophils react within an hour of tissue injury and are the hallmark of acute inflammation.
sources - Popular Science, and Wikipedia
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