Which blood cells are known as garbage cells?

• A. Neutrophils
• B. Erythrocytes
• C. Macrophages
• D. T-lymphocytes

Answer: (C)

Garbage collectors of the body are scavenger cells that clear debris, dead cells, and pathogens through phagocytosis. Macrophages fit this role perfectly, as they ingest and digest large particles, including cell debris and bacteria, and they reside in tissues to keep things tidy and help with healing. They come from monocytes and are found in various forms across the body, like Kupffer cells in the liver or microglia in the brain, all specialized for cleanup, debris removal, and presenting pieces of what they’ve eaten to other immune cells to help coordinate a broader response. The other cells mentioned aren’t primarily cleanup specialists: neutrophils are rapid responders that kill microbes, erythrocytes carry oxygen and aren’t phagocytes, and T-lymphocytes drive adaptive immune responses rather than housekeeping debris.