Final answer:
An inexperienced MLT student might confuse a small, mature lymphocyte for a monocyte if not careful. Size, nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio, and the presence of granules can help differentiate between the two.
Step-by-step explanation:
An inexperienced MLT student might confuse a small, mature lymphocyte for a monocyte if not careful.
Lymphocytes are a type of leukocyte that arise from lymphoid stem cells and are essential for the immune response. They have a wide size range, with some authorities recognizing two size classes and others three. The smaller cells are typically 6-9 μm with a larger volume of nucleus to cytoplasm, creating a "halo" effect. On the other hand, monocytes are a type of white blood cell that circulates in the blood and lymph and differentiate into macrophages after moving into infected tissue.
To differentiate between a small, mature lymphocyte and a monocyte, MLT students can consider the size, nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio, and presence of granules. Small, mature lymphocytes have a smaller nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio and fewer granules compared to monocytes, which have a larger nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio and more granules.