Final answer:
Stress or shift reticulocytes are immature red blood cells that are released into the bloodstream in response to certain conditions such as anemia or bleeding. They can be identified on a Wright-stained peripheral blood smear by their larger size, bluish color, and reticular appearance.
Step-by-step explanation:
On a Wright-stained peripheral blood smear, stress or shift reticulocytes refer to immature red blood cells that have been released from the bone marrow into the bloodstream in response to certain conditions such as anemia, bleeding, or other forms of stress on the body. These reticulocytes can be identified on a blood smear by their larger size, bluish color, and reticular (net-like) appearance due to the remnants of ribosomes in their cytoplasm.