Page 30 - Clinical Hematology Atlas

14 SECTION TWO HEMATOPOIESIS

A B C D E
FIGURE 2–2 General trends that affect the morphology of blood cells during the developmental process.
A, Cell diameter decreases and cytoplasm becomes less basophilic.
• An exception to the diameter decreasing is that in the granulocytic series, the promyelocyte may be
larger than its precursor, the myeloblast (see Chapter 5).
• In the erythroid series, hemoglobin development in the cytoplasm imparts a pink/salmon color.
B, Nuclear diameter decreases (N:C ratio decreases). Nuclear color changes from purplish red to dark blue.
C, Nuclear chromatin becomes coarser, clumped, and condensed.
• Nucleoli disappear.
• In the granulocytic series, the nuclear shapes changes and the nucleus becomes segmented. Granules
appear in cytoplasm (see Chapter 5).
• In the erythroid series, the nucleus becomes fully condensed and is ejected.
D, Composite of changes during maturation process.
E, Representative cells from the erythroid series, demonstrating maturation changes.
(Modified from Diggs LW, Sturm D, Bell A: The morphology of human blood cells, ed 5, Abbott Park, Ill,
1985, Abbott Laboratories. Reproduction of The Morphology of Human Blood Cells has been granted
with approval of Abbott Laboratories, all rights reserved by Abbott Laboratories.)