NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Reticulocyte

Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells, typically comprising about 1% of the red cells in the human body. Reticulocytes develop and mature in the red 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, 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. Image File history File links Polychromatic_erythrocyte. ... Image File history File links Polychromatic_erythrocyte. ... Image File history File links Erythrocyte. ... Image File history File links Erythrocyte. ... Human red blood cells Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate bodys principal means of delivering oxygen from the lungs or gills to body tissues via the blood. ... Grays Anatomy illustration of cells in bone marrow. ... The eukaryotic cell nucleus. ... Figure 1: Ribosome structure indicating small subunit (A) and large subunit (B). ... Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a nucleic acid polymer consisting of nucleotide monomers. ...

Reticulocytes appear slightly bluer than other red cells when looked at with the normal Romanowsky stain. Reticulocytes are also slightly larger, which can be picked up as a high MCV (mean corpuscular volume) with a full blood count done by machine. Romanowsky staining was a prototypical staining technique that was the forerunner of several distinct but similar methods, including Giemsa, Wright, and Leishman stains, which are used to differentiate cells in pathologic specimens. ... The mean corpuscular volume, or MCV, is a measure of the average red blood cell volume that is reported as part of a standard complete blood count. ... A full blood count (FBC) or complete blood count (CBC) is a test requested by a doctor or other medical professional that gives information about the cells in a patients blood. ...

Reticulocyte count

The reticulocyte count is the percentage of circulating red blood cells that are in the reticulocyte stage.

To accurately measure reticulocyte counts, automated counters that use lasers mark cell samples with fluorescent dye that marks RNA and DNA. This distinguishes reticulocytes as the middle ground of dye response to laser light, between red blood cells (which have neither RNA nor DNA) and lymphocytes (which have a large amount of DNA, unlike reticulocytes).[1] Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a nucleic acid polymer consisting of nucleotide monomers. ... The general structure of a section of DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions for the biological development of a cellular form of life or a virus. ... A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell involved in the human bodys immune system. ...

The normal range of values for reticulocytes in the blood depends on the clinical situation and the lab, but broadly speaking is 0.5% to 1.5%. The number of reticulocytes is a good indicator of red bone marrow activity, and can be used by doctors to monitor the progress of treatment for anaemia. The specimen requirement for a reticulocyte count is EDTA anti-coagulated whole blood, which is generally a lavender-top test tube. Grays Anatomy illustration of cells in bone marrow. ... EDTA is the chemical compound ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. ...

Reticulocytes increase in number and percentage when there is increased production of red blood cells such as in a haemolytic anaemia or sickle cell anemia. The increase in reticulocytes is called reticulocytosis. Hemolysis (alternative spelling haemolysis) is the excessive breakdown of red blood cells. ... Sickle-shaped red blood cells Sickle cell anemia (American English), sickle cell anaemia (British English) or sickle cell disease is a genetic disease in which red blood cells may change shape under certain circumstances. ... A reticulocyte is an immature red blood cell that appears especially during regeneration of lost blood. ...

Abnormally low numbers of reticulocytes can be attributed to chemotherapy, aplastic anemia, pernicious anemia, bone marrow malignancies, problems of erythropoietin production, or other causes of anaemia due to poor RBC production. Chemotherapy is the use of chemical substances to treat disease. ... Aplastic anemia is a condition where the bone marrow does not produce enough, or any, new cells to replenish the blood cells. ... Pernicious anemia refers to a type of autoimmune anemia. ... Grays Anatomy illustration of cells in bone marrow. ... Erythropoietin Erythropoietin (or EPO) is a glycoprotein hormone that is a growth factor for erythrocyte (red blood cell) precursors in the bone marrow. ...

See also

A reticular cell produces reticular fibers and surrounds the fibers with its cytoplasm, which isolates the fiber from other components of the tissues or cells. ... The Reticulocyte production index is a calculation used by physicians in the diagnosis of anemia. ...

External links

Category: Blood cells eMedicine is an online clinical medical knowledge base that was founded in 1996. ... Human blood smear: a - erythrocytes; b - neutrophil; c - eosinophil; d - lymphocyte. ... Blood plasma is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells are suspended. ... Sketch of bone marrow and its cells Pluripotential hemopoietic stem cells or pluripotential hematopoietic stem cells (PHSCs) are stem cells found in the bone marrow. ... Human red blood cells Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate bodys principal means of delivering oxygen from the lungs or gills to body tissues via the blood. ... A normoblast (or erythroblast) is a type of red blood cell which still retains a cell nucleus. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell involved in the human bodys immune system. ... Lymphoblasts are interferons produced predominantly by leucocyte cells. ... T cells are a subset of lymphocytes that play a large role in the immune response. ... A cytotoxic (or TC) T cell is a T cell (a type of white blood cell) which has on its surface antigen receptors called T-cell receptors (TCRs) that can bind to fragments of antigens displayed by the Class I MHC molecules of virus (or other intracellular pathogen) infected somatic... T helper cells (also known as effector T cells or Th cells) are a sub-group of lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell or leukocyte) that play an important role in establishing and maximising the capabilities of the immune system. ... Regulatory T cells (also known as suppressor T cells) are a specialized subpopulation of T cells that act to suppress activation of the immune system and thereby maintain immune system homeostasis and tolerance to self. ... Natural killer T cells (NK T cells) are a type of lymphocyte, or white blood cell. ... B cells are lymphocytes that play a large role in the humoral immune response (as opposed to the cell-mediated immune response). ... Plasma cells (also called plasma B cells or plasmocytes) are cells of the immune system that secrete large amounts of antibodies. ... Memory B cells are a B cell sub-type that are formed following primary infection. ... Natural NK cells are cytotoxic; small granules in their cytoplasm contain special proteins such as perforin and proteases known as granzymes. ... Sketch of bone marrow and its cells Pluripotential hemopoietic stem cells or pluripotential hematopoietic stem cells (PHSCs) are stem cells found in the bone marrow. ... Myeloblasts or blasts are new, immature blood cells developed in the bone marrow that are the precursors of myelocytes. ... Granulocytes are a category of white blood cells characterised by the presence of granules in their cytoplasm. ... Neutrophil granulocytes, generally referred to as neutrophils, are the most abundant type of white blood cells and form an integral part of the immune system. ... Eosinophils are white blood cells that are responsible for combating infection by parasites in the body. ... Basophil granulocyte Basophils are the least common of the granulocytes, representing about 1% of circulating leukocytes. ... Mast cells A mast cell (or mastocyte) is a resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin. ... Monocyte A monocyte is a leukocyte, part of the human bodys immune system that protect against blood-borne pathogens and move quickly to sites of infection in the tissues. ... A Histiocyte is a cell that is part of the human immune system. ... A macrophage of a mouse stretching its arms to engulf two particles, possibly pathogens Macrophages (Greek: big eaters, makros = long, phagein = eat) are white blood cells, more specifically phagocytes, acting in the nonspecific defense as well as the specific defense system of vertebrate animals. ... Dendritic cells (DC) are immune cells and form part of the mammal immune system. ... Langerhans cells are immature dendritic cells containing large granules called Birbeck granules. ... Microglia are a type of glial cell that act as the immune cells of the Central nervous system (CNS). ... Kupffer cells are reticulendothelial cells located in the liver. ... An osteoclast is a multinucleated cell that degrades and reabsorbs bone. ... A megakaryoblast is a precursor cell to a promegakaryocyte, which in turn becomes a megakaryocyte. ... The megakaryocyte is a bone marrow cell responsible for the production of blood platelets when its cytoplasm becomes fragmented. ... A 250 ml bag of newly collected platelets. ...