Which type of white blood cell is primarily associated with a response to parasites?

Eosinophils are the type of white blood cells primarily associated with the immune response to parasitic infections. These cells play a crucial role in combating larger parasites, such as helminths (worms), which are too large for phagocytic cells like neutrophils to engulf.

Eosinophils contain granules rich in enzymes and toxic proteins, which are released in response to parasitic infections. They also play a role in modulating allergic reactions and asthma. The presence of eosinophils is often indicative of an ongoing allergic response or a parasitic infection in the body, which can lead to elevated eosinophil counts, a condition known as eosinophilia.

Understanding the specific roles of different types of white blood cells helps clarify why eosinophils are uniquely suited to respond to parasitic challenges, as opposed to other cells like lymphocytes, which primarily handle viral infections and adaptive immunity, neutrophils, which are mainly associated with bacterial infections, and basophils, which are involved in allergic reactions and the inflammatory response.