Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Monocito
Monocyte (MAH-noh-site)
A type of immune cell that is made in the bone marrow and travels through the blood to tissues in the body where it becomes a macrophage. Macrophages surround and kill microorganisms, ingest foreign material, remove dead cells, and boost immune responses. A monocyte is a type of white blood cell and a type of phagocyte.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.