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Glite Dictionary
monoblast

monoblast

9.9
A large young cell inside bone marrow that becomes a white blood cell
  • noun
  • /ˈmɒnəˌblæst/
  • Specialized
: monoblasto
  • In the early stages of leukemia, the number of monoblasts in the marrow may increase.

Examples

  • Doctors examined the patient's bone marrow and identified several monoblasts.

  • A deficiency of monoblasts can indicate a bone marrow disorder.

  • A monoblast is essential for immune system development.

  • The laboratory identified several monoblasts in the sample.

  • Doctors examined the patient's bone marrow and identified several monoblasts.

  • In the early stages of leukemia, the number of monoblasts in the marrow may increase.

  • A deficiency of monoblasts can indicate a bone marrow disorder.

Surface Forms

monoblast singular
monoblasts plural

Morphology

monoblast = blast (semi-transparent) = mono + blast

The structure is clear as 'mono-' plus 'blast', but the biological meaning is specialized enough that it is not fully predictable for an average learner.

Etymology

The word monoblast comes from mono- meaning 'one' and -blast meaning 'young cell' or 'bud', so it is a single immature cell. That's why a monoblast is a large bone marrow cell that will grow into a monocyte, a type of white blood cell.