Final answer:
Lead poisoning causes basophilic stippling of red blood cells, which is the appearance of small, dark granules within the cells due to impaired RNA degradation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lead poisoning can cause a number of adverse health effects. One specific hematological manifestation of lead poisoning is basophilic stippling of red blood cells (RBCs). Basophilic stippling refers to the appearance of small, dark granules in the erythrocytes that are visible under a microscope. These stipplings are aggregates of ribosomal RNA that are a result of impaired RNA degradation within the RBC. Lead interferes with several enzymes in the heme synthesis pathway and leads to the accumulation of these granules.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question, "Lead poisoning can cause:" is b. basophilic stippling. Other options, such as anisocytosis (variation in RBC size), echinocytosis (abnormally spiky RBCs), and spherocytosis (abnormally round RBCs), while relevant to the study of blood cell morphology, are not specifically associated with lead poisoning.