Normal erythrocytes: Cells of the erythroid line vary hugely within the animal kingdom, in terms of size, number, shape, lifespan, metabolism, and response to injury/anemia. The wide range of normal red cell appearance across the various species presents a challenge to the observer. Familiarity with the appearance of normal erythrocytes of the species at hand is an obvious but essential prequisite to the correct identification and proper interpretation of abnormalities. Examples of normal red blood cells in Wright's stained blood films from several of the common species are presented here. |
