Prof. Dr. Malak A.

Al-yawer
Department of Anatomy/ histology Section
At the end of this lecture, the medical student will be
able to

 review the maturation stages of granulocytes,

lymphocytes, monocytes & thrombocytes
 Compare between azurophilic & specific granules
 Define the structural differentiation that occur within
each maturation
 List some relative disorders
Granulopiosis
regulated by GM-CSF
1. pluripotential stem cells
2. myeloid multipotential stem
cells
3. granulocyte colony forming
cell
4. Myeloblast
5. Promyelocyte
basophilic cytoplasm
containing azurophilic granules
Granulopiosis

6. Myelocyte : appearance of
specific granules
 Neutrophilic myelocyte
 Acidophilic myelocyte
 Basophilic myelocyte
Granulopiosis
7. Metamyelocyte :
band form nuclei
 Neutrophilic
metamyelocyte
 Acidophilic
metamyelocyte
 Basophilic
metamyelocyte
Granulopiosis
8. Mature granulocyte :
Azurophilic granules
 1st appear in promyelocyte
 Derived from the inner cisternae of Golgi complex
 Decrease in number with frequent division and
maturation
 They are lysosomes , it’s histochemical structure
myeloperoxidase and acid phosphatase
Specific granules
 Initial appearance in myelocyte
 Derived from an outer cisternae of Golgi complex
 Increase in number with maturation
 neutrophil contain alkaline phosphatase and
antibacterial lysozyme
 Acidophil contain sulphatase , peroxidase and
histaminase
 Basophil contain heparin and histamine
Drawing illustrating the sequence of gene expression in the maturation of granulocytes. Azurophilic
granules are blue; specific granules are pink.
MEDICAL APPLICATION

 The appearance of large numbers of immature

neutrophils (band cells) in the blood is called a shift
to the left and is clinically significant, usually
indicating bacterial infection.
Maturation of monocytes
Is regulated by GM-CSF

1. Pluripotential cell

2. Myeloid multipotential
cell

3. Monocyte colony –
forming cell

4. Monoblasts

5. Promonocyte :
6. Monocyte
Lymphopoiesis
1. Pluripotential cell
2. Lymphoid
multipotential cells :
migrate to lymphoid
organs
3. Lymphocyte colony
forming cell
Maturation of lymphocyte
4. Lymphoblast :
capable of incorporating
[3H]thymidine
5. Prolymphocyte :
 few azurophilic granules appear
in the cytoplasm
 no cell surface receptor that
mark them as T or B lymphocyte
6. B and T lymphocytes :
in the thymus or bone marrow ,
these cells synthesize cell surface
receptors
Leukemias
 are malignant clones of leukocyte precursors.
 They occur in
1. lymphoid tissue (lymphocytic leukemias)
2. bone marrow (myelogenous and monocytic leukemias).
 In these diseases, there is usually a release of large numbers
of immature cells into the blood.
 The patient is usually anemic and prone to infection.
Maturation of platelets
Regulated by thrombopoietin (TPO)
Mainly produced by the liver
Thrombopoiesis
Regulated by thrombopoietin mainly produced by the liver

1. Pluripotential cell
2. Myeloid multipotential
cell
3. Megakaryocyte forming
cell
4. Megakaryoblast :
 large cell
 large ovoid or kidney
shaped nucleus ,
numerous nucleoli ( DNA
30X as much as a normal
cell ) ,
 cytoplasm is homogenous
and basophilic
Thrombopoiesis

5. Megakaryocyte :
 giant cell
 irregular lobulated nucleus ,
coarse chromatin , no visible
nucleoli ,
 Cytoplasm contain numerous
mitochondria, RER, extensive
Golgi complex , conspicuous
granules
 The demarkation membranes
arise from numerous
invaginations of the plasma
membrane through out the
cytoplasm
 Electron micrograph of a megakaryocyte showing a lobulated nucleus (N) and
numerous cytoplasmic granules. The demarcation membranes are visible as
tubular profiles.
Section of bone marrow showing various stages of megakaryocyte
development (1—4), several adipocytes (*), and blood sinusoids
(arrowheads).
Thrombocytopenic purpura
 the number of blood platelets is reduced,
 the platelets appear to be bound to the cytoplasm of
the megakaryocytes, indicating a defect in the
liberation mechanism of these corpuscles.
Summary
 Pluripotential cell , Myeloid multipotential cell , granulocyte
colony – forming cell , Myeloblast ,Promyelocyte , myelocyte,
metamyelocytes are stages of maturation of granulocytes
 Two kinds of granules appear during maturation of granulocytes
 Pluripotential cell , Myeloid multipotential cell , Monocyte
colony – forming cell, Monoblasts , Promonocyte & monocytes
are stages of maturation of monocytes
 Pluripotential cell , Lymphoid multipotential cells , Lymphocyte
colony forming cell , Lymphoblast ,Prolymphocyte and B and T
lymphocytes are maturation stages of lymphocytes
 Pluripotential cell , Myeloid multipotential cell ,Megakaryocyte
forming cell , Megakaryoblast & Megakaryocytes are maturation
stages of platelets
Thank you