reticulocyte
Sign in to saveIn hematology, reticulocytes are immature red blood cells (RBCs). In the process of erythropoiesis (red blood cell formation), reticulocytes develop and mature in the bone marrow and then circulate for about a day in the blood stream before developing into mature red blood cells. Like mature red blood cells, in mammals, reticulocytes do not have a cell nucleus. They are called reticulocytes because of a reticular (mesh-like) network of ribosomal RNA that becomes visible under a microscope with certain stains such as new methylene blue and Romanowsky stain.
Key facts
- Cell.Name
- Reticulocyte
- Cell.Latin
- reticulocytus
- Cell.Image
- Polychromatic erythrocyte.png
- Cell.Caption
- Reticulocytes
- Cell.Image2
- Erythrocyte.png
- Cell.Caption2
- Erythrocytes (mature cells)
- Cell.GivesRiseTo
- Red blood cells
- Cell.Location
- Bone marrow (most), blood (some)
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
Show 3 more facts
- native label
- reticulocytus
- NCI Thesaurus ID
- C12528
- Commons category
- Reticulocyte
via Wikidata · CC0
~4 min read
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Clinical significance
- Immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF)
- Development
- Research
- References
In hematology, reticulocytes are immature red blood cells (RBCs). In the process of erythropoiesis (red blood cell formation), reticulocytes develop and mature in the bone marrow and then circulate for about a day in the blood stream before developing into mature red blood cells. Like mature red blood cells, in mammals, reticulocytes do not have a cell nucleus. They are called reticulocytes because of a reticular (mesh-like) network of ribosomal RNA that becomes visible under a microscope with certain stains such as new methylene blue and Romanowsky stain.
==Clinical significance== To accurately measure reticulocyte counts, automated counters use a combination of laser excitation, detectors and a fluorescent dye that marks RNA and DNA (such as titan yellow or polymethine).