Mast cells are helpful to the physical body because they help
iniate an inflammatory response. Inflammation is used by the
physical body to defend it'self against incoming antigens that
could potentially harm the body. Inflammation is an immune system
adaptation and most sources refer to it as a secondary form of
non-specific immunity. The reason Mast Cells are usefull is because
they are the cells that have cell identity markers on them. Mast
cells are a type of wbc that differentiates into a mast cell when
it leaves the cardio-vascular system and moves into the tissue.
Mast cells are able to recognise a potentially harmful substance.
The value of this is that mast cells are able to produce and
allergic reaction and this attracts macrophages and other WBC's
which ensure that the potentially harmful substance is isolated and
distroyed. The body sees the positive aspect of removing the
potentially harmful substance as more important than the negatives
associated with inflammation.
