Macrophages

I have to say that out of all the cells in the human body, the one cell that has captivated me the most is the macrophage.

Its name literally means "big eater", due to the fact that it takes in a whole lot of stuff. It phagocytoses (literally gobbles up) a whole range of things, including microorganisms such as bacteria as well as remnants of dead tissues.

Macrophages are mostly commonly associated with the body's defence against infection by pathogens (harmful microorganisms). They phagocytose ("eat") bacteria and digest them.

Aside from that, they serve a whole range of other bodily functions.

Macrophages help clean up necrotic debris (remnants of dead cells). This allows for healing to take place at the site of injury.

Macrophages release a whole range of chemicals that perform a wide range of functions.

These chemicals can be:

• Inflammatory mediators, in other words chemicals that cause the effects of inflammation, such as redness, swelling, pain/itch and heat. Inflammation causes blood flow to slow at the site of injury or infection, allowing proteins, other defence cells as well as fluid to seep into the site. This serves to dilute toxins (kinda like rinsing your hand with water after spilling acid on it), bring in other cells to help deal with invading pathogens (like summoning the cavalry) and to promote healing.

• They promote the release of antibodies from plasma cells (antibody secreting cells). Antibodies are involved in the body's long-term immune response against microorganisms and serve a wide range of functions to help contain the spread of microorganisms.

• Aside from ingesting and taking in microbes, macrophages can also release their cellular contents which are cytotoxic (meaning harmful to cells) that can kill microorganisms, and as such help contain the spread of microorganisms.

They act as antigen-presenting cells (APCs), in which they break up protein molecules left behind by invading microorganisms, incorporate them onto their surface and present them to another class of immune cells called T-cells which cause their activation. Some T-cells (helper T-cells) help to boost the immune response of the body which other T-cells (cytotoxic T-cells) kill virus-infected cells.

Macrophages truly are an amazing work of the Creator. They are a demonstration of the love and attention that God has put into His creations.

More than that, I believe that we can be like macrophages.

Rather than ingesting a whole lot of bacteria, we can be big consumers of God's grace. God wants to richly pour out His blessings to us, so we should not be afraid to ask God for strength, wisdom or other requirements in our prayers.

Rather than merely consuming, we are called to perform our functions in the body of Christ.

We can help clear up all the bad conscience, dead faith, rotting disbelief and everything else that hinders us from putting our complete trust in the Creator, so that His healing can begin in the community.

We can help release encouragements and words of life to spur one another on and to help boost the immunity of the body of Christ against the accusations and deceptions of Satan, that when the enemy tries to invade the community, the people will be ready to stand firm against it.

We can help activate the community and help them realize the need for God's presence in the community to stand up against the enslaving systems of the world by presenting them with the truth of the character of God and His justice, and the truth of the Biblical story that has been revealed since the beginning of the world.

In short, there's so much of Christian living that we can learn from the humble macrophage. It is truly a mark of the Creator's presence in His creation and His wonderful purposes for each one of them.

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Note: Picture taken from http://www.hartnell.edu/biology/Images/f21-3_macrophage_engulf_cb.jpg