| Red blood cell | Polychromatophilic cell |
| Definition | Immature non-nucleated red cells with a blue hue in their cytoplasm; the blue may be barely visible or may be marked. Polychromatic red cells are typically larger than normal red cells. They tend to lack central pallor. When stained with supravital dyes the remaining mRNA and ribosomes give the red cells a “reticular” mesh-like network, hence the name “reticulocyte”. Of note, not all reticulocytes are recognized as polychromatophils on the Wright-giemsa stain. |
| Conditions associated with increased numbers | Hemolysis, bleeding, administration of erythropoietin |
| Mechanism of formation | Part of normal process of erythropoiesis. Anucleate red cell that still contains RNA, ribosomes and other cytoplasmic organelles. Develops into a mature (pink-stained) red cell in the bone marrow and circulation. |
| Source/Author | William Aird |
| Reviewed and edited by | Parul Bhargava |
