Mast cell
granulated cell found in almost all tissues
A mast cell (also known as a mastocyte or a labrocyte) is a resident cell that develops and lives in connective or mucosal tissue and contains many small secretory granules for the storage and release of histamine, heparin and other mediators. Derived from myeloid progenitor cells, mast cells are granulocytes, a type of white blood cell, and part of the immune and neuroimmune systems. Mast cells were described by Friedrich von Recklinghausen in 1863 and rediscovered and named by Paul Ehrlich in 1877.
Mast cells act as sentinels, detecting signals that indicate the presence of parasites, pathogens and other possible dangers in surrounding cells and tissues. MCs modulate immune responses according to the stimuli detected, both by releasing mediators stored in granules and by secreting newly synthesized mediators.
They play an important protective role in the defense and repair of cells through wound healing, angiogenesis, vascular permeability, and responses to bacteria, viruses, protozoa, prions, fungi, and venoms. MCs are best known for their roles in allergy, anaphylaxis, and atopic dermatitis and may be involved in a variety of other diseases.
Development
Mast cells are considered to have originated nearly 500 million years ago, in urochordates, making them one of the most ancient types of immune cells.
Mast cells (MCs) are specialized immune cells derived through hematopoiesis, the formation of blood cell components. Mast cells develop from circulating mast cell progenitors (MCps).
The public source identifies “Mast cell” as granulated cell found in almost all tissues. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Mast, cell and granulated.
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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q191989. The Library of Congress control number is sh85081982. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1863 and 1877.
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This entry incorporates text from “Mast cell” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.