Megan Hanlon

1 Introduction Macrophages are central components of the innate immune system. They are present in nearly every tissue of the body and are an extremely dynamic and plastic cell type. As major phagocytic cells, macrophages are charged with the removal of pathogens and cellular debris. These cells were first described by Metchnikoff in 1883 in starfish larvae and were subsequently classified according to their size [1].

In 2015, when I found out I was going to give birth to a girl, my first feeling was elation. But my second feeling was fear, followed quickly by overwhelm. I was deeply worried about my ability to raise a confident, strong, emotionally healthy daughter in today’s world. Despite the gains women have made since first- and second-wave feminism, it’s still more difficult in America to be a woman than a man.

In 2015, when I found out I was going to give birth to a girl, my first feeling was elation. But my second feeling was fear, followed quickly by overwhelm. I was deeply worried about my ability to raise a confident, strong, emotionally healthy daughter in today’s world. Despite the gains women have made since first- and second-wave feminism, it’s still more difficult in America to be a woman than a man.