UAMS Hematology Exam #2 Questions with Correct Answers Latest Update 2025/2026
Bone marrow and blood smears. - Answers What does Wrights stain evaluate?
Reticulocytes. It determines if the bone marrow is compensating for anemia. Supravital stain. -
Answers What does the new methylene blue stain evaluate? What is another name for this stain?
Iron stored within cells in the bone marrow. - Answers What does the Prussian blue stain
evaluate?
Red blood cell. - Answers Which cell has a biconcave disc shape with a central pallor of about
1/3 of the cell? This cell is salmon pink in color and is generally considered normocytic or
normochromic.
About 7 microns - Answers Which size of cell is considered normocytic or normochromic?
Sickle cells, schistocytes, intracellular parasites (malaria), and spherocytes. - Answers What 4
cell types are clinically significant, even in low numbers?
No - Answers Should abnormal morphology be reported if there were only 1 or 2 cells observed?
slight, moderate, marked, and many. - Answers What are the 4 terms used to report morphology?
Anisocytosis. Poikilocytosis. Yes. - Answers What is the term used to describe a variation in
size? Term used to describe variation in shape? Can you have one without the other?
Mean cell volume. Cells can be macrocytic, normocytic, or microcytic. - Answers What is MCV
and what are the 3 stages that can be indicated by it?
Mean cell hemoglobin. Average weight of hemoglobin in a red blood cell. - Answers What is
MCH?
Mean cell hemoglobin content. Average concentration of hemoglobin in each red blood cell.
Hypochromic - less hemo, normochromic, and hyperchromic - cells don't have more hemo just
have a different appearance with a changing cell wall. - Answers What is MCHC and what 3
stages can be indicated?
Polychromasia. Reticulocytes when stained with new methylene blue. - Answers What is the
term for pale gray RBCs? When is this observed?
6-8 um. Measured with a micrometer or by MCV. fL - femtoliter. - Answers What size are most
normal reticulocytes and RBCs? How can they be measured? What is the unit?
80-100 fL. Equivalent to size of lymphocyte nucleus. The amount of cytoplasm. - Answers What
is a normal MCV? What is this equivalent to? What actually causes a cell to become bigger?
Macrocyte. Over 100 fL. Caused by impaired DNA synthesis in the nucleus and a decreased
,number of cellular divisions in immature RBCs. Oval macrocytes are produced. - Answers What
is the term for an RBC with increased size? What is the size in fL? What occurs with these cells?
What is produced?
They are seen with increased cell turnover, when greater than 1% of RBCs are being destroyed
daily. This causes polychromasia and is an indicator that a patient is compensating for anemia.
- Answers When are macrocytes typically observed and what do they cause?
Macrocytes cause changes in membrane lipids causing cells to spread out. Seen in liver disease.
- Answers What disease are macrocytes usually an indictor of?
Microcytes, smaller than 80 fL. Caused by impaired hemoglobin synthesis which causes
increased cell divisions and a decrease in cell size. Examples include iron deficiency anemia,
thalassemia, and lead poisoning. - Answers Term for smaller RBCs? Size in fL? What are these
caused by? Examples?
Ovalocytes or elliptocytes. Spectrin. It affects the horizontal linkage of the cell cytoplasm.
Hereditary ovalocytosis, sickle cell anemia, iron deficiency anemia, RBC enzyme deficiencies,
pernicious anemia, or miscellanous anemia. - Answers What type of cell are rod or oval shaped
that increases as the cell matures, is hereditary or caused by acquired conditions? What protein
in the RBC membrane is defected and what does it cause to induce this shape? What conditions
will this cell typically be observed in?
Sickle cell or drepanocytes. Decreased solubility. This shape is produced when oxygen tension
in the blood is decreased. - Answers What type of cell is caused by abnormal hemoglobin S that
produces tactoids? What does abnormal hemoglobin S cause? Why is this shape produced?
They can increase if blood oxygen tension increases. Need to be reported immediately to start
treatment to prevent sickle numbers rising. - Answers Why are sickle cells significant even in
small numbers?
Acanthocytes or spurs. Caused by increased cholesterol that alter membrane lipid content.
Observed in liver disease, congenital abetalipoproteinemia, alcoholic liver disease, and post
splenectomy. Yes. - Answers What cells are small, spherical, and have pointed irregular spaced
projections radiating from the cell tips? These cells have no central pallor. What are these
caused by? What conditions are these typically observed in? Do these cells have a normal life
span?
Echinocytes or burrs. Liver disease, uremia, dehydration, peptic ulcers, and pyruvate kidney
disease. Cells caused by a cation imbalance. - Answers Which cells have 10-30 rounded
spicules unevenly placed over the surface of the RBC? These spicules may be even, sharp, or
random. What are these cells observed in? What are they caused by?
Schistocytes. Coagulation defects, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, heart valve hemolysis,
, severe burns, and uremia. Fibrin or thrombin. Keratocyte. These are to be reported because
clogging could occur which would eventually tear the vessel. - Answers Which cells are
fragments formed as RBCs are abnormally destroyed, such as squeezing through damaged
vessels? What conditions are these seen in? What exactly in the blood vessel causes RBC
breakdown to cause these? What is a variant form of these cells? Why are these clinically
significant?
Tear drop or dacryocytes. Myelofibrosis, extra-medullary hematopoiesis, enlarged spleen, or
megaloblastic anemia. - Answers Which cells are round with a single elongated or pointed
extremity? These are pear shaped cells. What are these observed in?
Hypochromasia. Impaired hemoglobin synthesis. Microcytosis. Measured with MCH and MCHC.
Water artifacts could also cause this. - Answers What term refers to decreased color in a cell
with a central pallor of greater than 3 um? What is this caused by? What is this usually observed
alongside? What is this measured with? What could this also be caused by that is not a disease?
Spherocyte. A defect in a membrane protein causes a vertical disrupt between transmembrane
proteins and underlying cytoskeleton. RBCs that have no central pallor. These cells can cause
extravascular hemolysis due to decreased surface area to volume ratio. These may be due to
immune hemolytic anemia from antibody or genetic defect of membrane. - Answers What term
refers to a decrease in cell wall shape? What causes this? What are the only cells that can be
described like this? What can these cells cause and why? Why are these clinically significant?
Target cell - Answers What term refers to a cell with a slight hemoglobin change due to a wall
change?
Polychromasia. The blue gray RBCs on a Wright stain (aka reticulocytes). 1%. It would indicate
the bone marrow is increasing cell output due to hemorrhage, hemolytic anemia, significant RBC
loss, or post treatment of iron deficiency anemia. - Answers What term refers to increased cell
color? What cells does this typically refer to? What percentage of cells are usually
polychromatic? What would an increased number indicate? Why would this need to happen?
Target cells or codocytes. Represents a rearrangement of hemoglobin, clear ring in middle and
dark stain on outside. These cells have an increased cell membrane and surface area due to
lipid alteration, causing cell expansion. This also causes a decrease in hemoglobin.
Thalassemia, iron deficiency anemia, and liver disease. - Answers Which cells are bell shaped,
appear very thin and flat on a smear, and have a bull's eye appearance? What do these represent?
What causes this? What conditions are these seen under?
Sickle cell anemia, hemoglobin C disease, and thalassemia. - Answers What are the
hemoglobinopathies?
Stomatocytes. Electrolyte imbalance, alcoholism, and lipid alteration of membrane. These can
be reversed. - Answers Which cells are cup or lip shaped, with a slit shaped central pallor? What
Bone marrow and blood smears. - Answers What does Wrights stain evaluate?
Reticulocytes. It determines if the bone marrow is compensating for anemia. Supravital stain. -
Answers What does the new methylene blue stain evaluate? What is another name for this stain?
Iron stored within cells in the bone marrow. - Answers What does the Prussian blue stain
evaluate?
Red blood cell. - Answers Which cell has a biconcave disc shape with a central pallor of about
1/3 of the cell? This cell is salmon pink in color and is generally considered normocytic or
normochromic.
About 7 microns - Answers Which size of cell is considered normocytic or normochromic?
Sickle cells, schistocytes, intracellular parasites (malaria), and spherocytes. - Answers What 4
cell types are clinically significant, even in low numbers?
No - Answers Should abnormal morphology be reported if there were only 1 or 2 cells observed?
slight, moderate, marked, and many. - Answers What are the 4 terms used to report morphology?
Anisocytosis. Poikilocytosis. Yes. - Answers What is the term used to describe a variation in
size? Term used to describe variation in shape? Can you have one without the other?
Mean cell volume. Cells can be macrocytic, normocytic, or microcytic. - Answers What is MCV
and what are the 3 stages that can be indicated by it?
Mean cell hemoglobin. Average weight of hemoglobin in a red blood cell. - Answers What is
MCH?
Mean cell hemoglobin content. Average concentration of hemoglobin in each red blood cell.
Hypochromic - less hemo, normochromic, and hyperchromic - cells don't have more hemo just
have a different appearance with a changing cell wall. - Answers What is MCHC and what 3
stages can be indicated?
Polychromasia. Reticulocytes when stained with new methylene blue. - Answers What is the
term for pale gray RBCs? When is this observed?
6-8 um. Measured with a micrometer or by MCV. fL - femtoliter. - Answers What size are most
normal reticulocytes and RBCs? How can they be measured? What is the unit?
80-100 fL. Equivalent to size of lymphocyte nucleus. The amount of cytoplasm. - Answers What
is a normal MCV? What is this equivalent to? What actually causes a cell to become bigger?
Macrocyte. Over 100 fL. Caused by impaired DNA synthesis in the nucleus and a decreased
,number of cellular divisions in immature RBCs. Oval macrocytes are produced. - Answers What
is the term for an RBC with increased size? What is the size in fL? What occurs with these cells?
What is produced?
They are seen with increased cell turnover, when greater than 1% of RBCs are being destroyed
daily. This causes polychromasia and is an indicator that a patient is compensating for anemia.
- Answers When are macrocytes typically observed and what do they cause?
Macrocytes cause changes in membrane lipids causing cells to spread out. Seen in liver disease.
- Answers What disease are macrocytes usually an indictor of?
Microcytes, smaller than 80 fL. Caused by impaired hemoglobin synthesis which causes
increased cell divisions and a decrease in cell size. Examples include iron deficiency anemia,
thalassemia, and lead poisoning. - Answers Term for smaller RBCs? Size in fL? What are these
caused by? Examples?
Ovalocytes or elliptocytes. Spectrin. It affects the horizontal linkage of the cell cytoplasm.
Hereditary ovalocytosis, sickle cell anemia, iron deficiency anemia, RBC enzyme deficiencies,
pernicious anemia, or miscellanous anemia. - Answers What type of cell are rod or oval shaped
that increases as the cell matures, is hereditary or caused by acquired conditions? What protein
in the RBC membrane is defected and what does it cause to induce this shape? What conditions
will this cell typically be observed in?
Sickle cell or drepanocytes. Decreased solubility. This shape is produced when oxygen tension
in the blood is decreased. - Answers What type of cell is caused by abnormal hemoglobin S that
produces tactoids? What does abnormal hemoglobin S cause? Why is this shape produced?
They can increase if blood oxygen tension increases. Need to be reported immediately to start
treatment to prevent sickle numbers rising. - Answers Why are sickle cells significant even in
small numbers?
Acanthocytes or spurs. Caused by increased cholesterol that alter membrane lipid content.
Observed in liver disease, congenital abetalipoproteinemia, alcoholic liver disease, and post
splenectomy. Yes. - Answers What cells are small, spherical, and have pointed irregular spaced
projections radiating from the cell tips? These cells have no central pallor. What are these
caused by? What conditions are these typically observed in? Do these cells have a normal life
span?
Echinocytes or burrs. Liver disease, uremia, dehydration, peptic ulcers, and pyruvate kidney
disease. Cells caused by a cation imbalance. - Answers Which cells have 10-30 rounded
spicules unevenly placed over the surface of the RBC? These spicules may be even, sharp, or
random. What are these cells observed in? What are they caused by?
Schistocytes. Coagulation defects, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, heart valve hemolysis,
, severe burns, and uremia. Fibrin or thrombin. Keratocyte. These are to be reported because
clogging could occur which would eventually tear the vessel. - Answers Which cells are
fragments formed as RBCs are abnormally destroyed, such as squeezing through damaged
vessels? What conditions are these seen in? What exactly in the blood vessel causes RBC
breakdown to cause these? What is a variant form of these cells? Why are these clinically
significant?
Tear drop or dacryocytes. Myelofibrosis, extra-medullary hematopoiesis, enlarged spleen, or
megaloblastic anemia. - Answers Which cells are round with a single elongated or pointed
extremity? These are pear shaped cells. What are these observed in?
Hypochromasia. Impaired hemoglobin synthesis. Microcytosis. Measured with MCH and MCHC.
Water artifacts could also cause this. - Answers What term refers to decreased color in a cell
with a central pallor of greater than 3 um? What is this caused by? What is this usually observed
alongside? What is this measured with? What could this also be caused by that is not a disease?
Spherocyte. A defect in a membrane protein causes a vertical disrupt between transmembrane
proteins and underlying cytoskeleton. RBCs that have no central pallor. These cells can cause
extravascular hemolysis due to decreased surface area to volume ratio. These may be due to
immune hemolytic anemia from antibody or genetic defect of membrane. - Answers What term
refers to a decrease in cell wall shape? What causes this? What are the only cells that can be
described like this? What can these cells cause and why? Why are these clinically significant?
Target cell - Answers What term refers to a cell with a slight hemoglobin change due to a wall
change?
Polychromasia. The blue gray RBCs on a Wright stain (aka reticulocytes). 1%. It would indicate
the bone marrow is increasing cell output due to hemorrhage, hemolytic anemia, significant RBC
loss, or post treatment of iron deficiency anemia. - Answers What term refers to increased cell
color? What cells does this typically refer to? What percentage of cells are usually
polychromatic? What would an increased number indicate? Why would this need to happen?
Target cells or codocytes. Represents a rearrangement of hemoglobin, clear ring in middle and
dark stain on outside. These cells have an increased cell membrane and surface area due to
lipid alteration, causing cell expansion. This also causes a decrease in hemoglobin.
Thalassemia, iron deficiency anemia, and liver disease. - Answers Which cells are bell shaped,
appear very thin and flat on a smear, and have a bull's eye appearance? What do these represent?
What causes this? What conditions are these seen under?
Sickle cell anemia, hemoglobin C disease, and thalassemia. - Answers What are the
hemoglobinopathies?
Stomatocytes. Electrolyte imbalance, alcoholism, and lipid alteration of membrane. These can
be reversed. - Answers Which cells are cup or lip shaped, with a slit shaped central pallor? What
