Table 1.

Definitions of neutrophil terms employed for biocuration

Activation	The change in morphology and behavior of a neutrophil resulting from exposure to a cytokine, chemokine, cellular ligand, or soluble factor.120
Adhesion	The process in which neutrophils attach to vascular endothelium as part of an event in recruitment into acutely inflammatory lesions, or to target tissues/cells following transmigration events.121,122
Apoptosis	Regulated cell death.120
Cell spreading	The morphogenetic process that results in flattening of a cell as a consequence of its adhesion to a substrate.120
Chemotaxis	The directed movement of a neutrophil cell, the most common polymorphonuclear leukocyte found in the blood, in response to an external stimulus, usually an infection or wounding.120
Infiltration	The diffusion or accumulation of neutrophils in tissues or cells in response to a wide variety of substances released at the sites of inflammatory reactions.123
Migration	The movement of a neutrophil within or between different tissues and organs of the body.120
Phagocytosis	An endocytosis process that results in the engulfment of external particulate material.120
Respiratory burst	A phase of elevated metabolic activity, during which oxygen consumption increases; this leads to the production, by an NADH-dependent system, of H2O2, superoxide anions, and hydroxyl radicals.120
Transmigration	The migration of a neutrophil from the blood vessels into the surrounding tissue.120 Neutrophils pass through endothelium, interstitial tissues, and epithelium before arriving at the target location. No differentiation of stage was made for the purposes of our biocuration.