FREE Medical Laboratory Technician Hematology Cell Identification Questions and Answers

Question 1

A peripheral blood smear from a patient with a suspected parasitic infection shows a cell approximately 12-16 µm in diameter, with a bilobed nucleus and prominent, large, bright orange-red granules uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm.
Which of the following cells is most likely being described?

Accepted Answer

Eosinophil

Answer

Neutrophil

Answer

Basophil

Answer

Monocyte

Question 2

Which of the following immature red blood cells is characterized by a high nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio, a round or slightly oval nucleus with dense, clumped chromatin, and a deep blue, agranular cytoplasm, often seen as the last nucleated stage before reticulocyte maturation?

Accepted Answer

Orthochromic normoblast (metarubricyte)

Answer

Polychromatophilic normoblast (rubricyte)

Answer

Basophilic normoblast (prorubricyte)

Answer

Pronormoblast (rubriblast)

Question 3

A bone marrow aspirate reveals a large cell (30-200 µm) with an irregular, often lobulated or multiple-nucleated nucleus, abundant granular cytoplasm, and often visible platelet budding at the periphery. What cell is being described?

Accepted Answer

Megakaryocyte

Answer

Myeloblast

Answer

Plasma cell

Answer

Osteoclast

Question 4

Which of the following is the defining characteristic that differentiates a promyelocyte from a myeloblast in granulocytic maturation?

Accepted Answer

Presence of azurophilic (primary) granules

Answer

Size of the cell

Answer

Nuclear chromatin pattern

Answer

Presence of a nucleolus

Question 5

A patient with infectious mononucleosis has atypical lymphocytes on their peripheral blood smear. Which of the following features is most characteristic of these cells?

Accepted Answer

Abundant, often indented, pale-staining cytoplasm that 'hugs' surrounding red blood cells

Answer

Small cell size with a high nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio and condensed chromatin

Answer

Numerous large, dark blue-purple cytoplasmic granules obscuring the nucleus

Answer

Large, multi-lobed nucleus with fine, lavender cytoplasmic granules

Question 6

A technician observes a red blood cell inclusion body that appears as small, round, dense, purple-staining remnants of DNA, typically found near the periphery of the red blood cell. This inclusion is characteristic of hyposplenism or asplenism. What is this inclusion called?

Accepted Answer

Howell-Jolly body

Answer

Basophilic stippling

Answer

Pappenheimer body

Answer

Heinz body

A peripheral blood smear from a patient with a suspected parasitic infection shows a cell approximately 12-16 µm in diameter, with a bilobed nucleus and prominent, large, bright orange-red granules uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm.Which of the following cells is most likely being described?

A peripheral blood smear from a patient with a suspected parasitic infection shows a cell approximately 12-16 µm in diameter, with a bilobed nucleus and prominent, large, bright orange-red granules uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm.
Which of the following cells is most likely being described?