Wolf–Rayet stars in starburst galaxies

Abstract Wolf–Rayet stars have been detected in a large number of galaxies experiencing intense bursts of star formation. All stars initially more massive than a certain, metallicity-dependent, value are believed to experience the Wolf–Rayet phase at the end of their evolution, just before collapsing in supernova explosion. The detection of Wolf–Rayet stars puts, therefore, important constraints on the evolutionary status of starbursts, the properties of their Initial Mass Functions and their star formation regime. In this contribution we review the properties of galaxies hosting Wolf–Rayet stars, with special emphasis on the factors that determine their presence and evolution, as well as their impact on the surrounding medium.