The Eosinophil granulocyte reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Eosinophil granulocyte

Eosinophils are white blood cells that are responsible for combating infection by parasites in the body.

These cells, transparent in vivo, appear brick-red when stained by the Romanowsky method. The red colour is visible as small granules within the cell. These granules contain histamine and other chemicals that are toxic to both parasites and the host's tissues.

Eosinophils also play a role in the allergic response, and in fibrin removal in inflammation.

An increase in eosinophils is called an eosinophilia, and is typically seen in people with a parasitic infection of the intestines. In 1989, contaminated l-tryptophan supplements caused a deadly form of eosinophilia known as eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome.

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