A white blood cell capable of ameboid movement, whose chief function is to protect the body against microorganisms causing disease and which comprise: granulocytes (basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils), nongranulocytes (lymphocytes, monocytes) and thrombocytes (platelets).
- bovine l. adhesion deficiency — lethal hematological defect inherited as a recessive trait in Holstein cattle; characterized by poor growth, recurrent infection and poor responsivity to standard treatments in calves from 2 to 8 weeks of age. Profound neutrophilia. Death supervenes before two years of age. Called also BLAD.
- canine l. adhesion deficiency — an autosomal recessive disease in Irish setters. Neutrophils lack CD11/CD18 adhesion proteins. Affected dogs have a marked neutrophilia and recurrent bacterial infections from an early age.
- l. count — tabulation of the numbers and kinds of leukocytes in a blood sample.
- endothelial l. — see endotheliocyte.
- l. functional antigens — a group of cell surface antigens involved in intracellular adhesion.
- granular l's — granulocytes; leukocytes containing abundant granules (lysosomes) in their cytoplasm, including neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils.
- l. migration-inhibition factor — a lymphokine elaborated by activated T or B lymphocytes that inhibits polymorphonuclear leukocyte migration.
- polymorphonuclear l. — any of the fully developed, segmented cells of the granulocyte series, especially a neutrophil, whose nuclei contain three or more lobes joined by filamentous connections.
