noun
- An immature granulocyte (white blood cell) found in bone marrow, representing an intermediate stage in the development of neutrophils, eosinophils, or basophils.
Usage: medical/hematology term; typically found in bone marrow; presence in blood may indicate disease or infection
Examples
- The laboratory technician identified myelocytes in the bone marrow biopsy sample.
- An elevated myelocyte count in the bloodstream can indicate leukemia or severe infection.
- During normal hematopoiesis, myelocytes mature into band cells and then segmented neutrophils.
- The pathologist noted the presence of myelocytes in the patient's peripheral blood smear.
- Myelocytes are characterized by a round to oval nucleus and cytoplasmic granules.