foam cells
Cholesterol-engorged white cells
Foam cells are immune cells that have gorged themselves on fatty substances, particularly cholesterol, giving them a foamy appearance under a microscope.
They form when macrophages absorb oxidized cholesterol from artery walls and become trapped there.
The accumulation of foam cells is a hallmark of atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque that narrows arteries and leads to heart disease and stroke.
- macrophageEngulfing immune cell
- atherosclerosisArterial plaque accumulation disease
- plaqueInscribed memorial tablet
- plaque buildupFatty arterial deposits
- cholesterolWaxy lipid in blood
bad cholesterol · lipid · artery · lesion · fatty · engulf · scavenger · inflammation · vessel · coronary · deposit · oxidized · LDL · blockage · cardiovascular · debris · accumulate · immune
- phagocytesphagocytes, macrophages, monocytes, neutrophils, microglia
- porespores, micropores, nanopores, voids, holes
- Blood Lipidscholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, lipoproteins
- cell inclusionsinclusion bodies, ferritin, glycogen, melanin, Howell-Jolly bodies