Identification of Blood Cells Flashcards
pink/orange grainy cytoplasm with indistinct granules; dense clumped chromatin within a segmented nucleus
Neutrophil
distinct and uniform red granules, bi-lobed nucleus (usually)
Eosinophil
small mononuclear cells with scant blue cytoplasm and round nuclei with dense, sometimes clumpy chromatin
Lymphocyte
larger than most lymphocytes, grey-blue cytoplasm, may have granules or vacuoles, bean shaped irregular nucleus
Monocyte
increased blue cytoplasm, polygonal nuclei, enhancing blue edging and azurophilic (pink/purple) granules
Large Granular Lymphocyte (T and NK cells)
large cell with correspondingly large, multi- lobular nuclei (caused by endomitosis)
Megakaryocyte
increased blue cytoplasm, larger polygonal nuclei may have nucleoli, tend to mold around RBC with enhanced blue edge (“skirting”)
Reactive Lymphocyte (atypical lymphocytes)
moderately sized cell that saints blue on Wright stain due to residual RNA, anucleate
Reticulocyte, Young RBC
slightly larger than a blast, with more cytoplasm and distinctive reddish granules that are often distributed to one side of the cell, nucleus has immature appearance often with a perinuclear clear zone representing the Golgi apparatus
Young Immature myeloid cell (promyelocyte- transitioning to metamyelocytes and bands)
biconcave disc with central pallor (normally <⅓ cell diameter), normal size comparable to nucleus of WBC, anucleate
Erythrocyte (RBC)
eccentric round nuclei in significant purple/blue cytoplasm
Plasma Cell
almost perfectly circular nucleus that has very blue and white (patchy or salami-like) distribution in a dark blue staining cytoplasm
Immature erythroid cell/ Nucleated RBC
irregular, chunky purple granules that obscure a bi- or tri-lobed nucleus
Basophil
size and N:C ratio is declining, has a round/oval nucleus and granules are less distinct and more orange/pink as nucleus begins to elongate
Young Immature myeloid cell (meyelocyte)
How do you distinguish a monocyte from a large granular lymphocyte?
monocytes don’t have granules but you often see vacuoles with large granular lymphocytes you can usually count the number of granules in them