Figure 1.

Antimicrobial mechanisms of neutrophils. When neutrophils recognize microbial pathogens, they deploy different functions to destroy them. Phagocytosis involves the ingestion of the microorganism into a phagocytic vacuole that upon maturation becomes a phagolysosome. In this new organelle, the microorganism is destroyed by the action of low pH, and degrading enzymes. Neutrophils also degranulate and release to their environment the contents of their granules. When the microorganism is too large to be ingested, neutrophil can also produce extracellular traps (NETs) formed by DNA fibers and proteins from the granules.