erythroblast
1
9.9
A cell in bone marrow with a nucleus that develops into a red blood cell
- noun
- /ɪˈrɪθrəˌblæst/
- Specialized
:
eritroblasto
- In the bone marrow, an erythroblast undergoes several changes to become a mature red blood cell.
Examples
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Researchers found that the growth of erythroblasts can be stimulated by certain growth factors.
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And when EPO released by the kidney hits an erythroblast in the context of the bone marrow, it actually has two effects.
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As the erythroblast matures, it loses its nucleus and becomes ready to transport oxygen.
How Mature
Surface Forms
erythroblast singular
erythroblasts plural
Morphology
erythroblast = blast (semi-transparent) = erythro + blast
The combining form 'erythro-' (red) plus 'blast' (immature cell) composes the technical term, but 'erythro-' is specialized and not transparent to general learners.
Etymology
The word erythroblast comes from Greek parts erythro- 'red' and -blast 'sprout' or 'young cell'. So an erythroblast is like a red 'sprout', a young cell in the bone marrow that will grow into a full red blood cell.