• A cell involved in allergic reactions. When stimulated, it releases chemicals like histamine that signal infection and cause inflammation.
  Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
  Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
• Mast cells are hematopoietic tissue cells that contain coarse, basophilic, metachromatic granules. They are believed to contain heparin and histamine and derive from hematopoietic progenitor cells.
  NCI
  U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
• Granulated cells that are found in almost all tissues, most abundantly in the skin and the gastrointestinal tract. Like the BASOPHILS, mast cells contain large amounts of HISTAMINE and HEPARIN. Unlike basophils, mast cells normally remain in the tissues and do not circulate in the blood. Mast cells, derived from the bone marrow stem cells, are regulated by the STEM CELL FACTOR.
  NLM Medical Subject Headings
  U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
• Mast cell, tissue cell of the immune system of vertebrate animals. Mast cells mediate inflammatory responses such as hypersensitivity and allergic reactions. They are scattered throughout the connective tissues of the body, especially beneath the surface of the skin, near blood vessels and...
  Encyclopedia Britannica
  Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025