Myelocyte
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Image:Basophilic myelocyte.png Image:Eosonophilic myelocyte.png Image:Neutrophilic myelocyte.png A myelocyte is a young cell of the granulocytic series, occurring normally in bone marrow, but not in circulating blood (except when caused by certain diseases). When stained with the usual dyes, the cytoplasm is distinctly basophilic and relatively more abundant than in myeloblasts or promyelocytes, even though myelocyte's are smaller cells; numerous cytoplasmic granules (Example: neutrophilic, eosinophilic, or basophilic) are present in the more mature forms of myelocyte's, and the first two types are peroxidase-positive. The nuclear chromatin is coarser than that observed in myeloblasts, but it is relatively faintly stained and lacks a well defined membrane; the nucleus is fairly regular in contour (not indented), and seems to be 'buried' beneath the numerous cytoplasmic granules.
Myeloblasts or blasts are new, immature blood cells developed in the bone marrow that are the precursors of myelocytes.
There is an internationally agreed method of counting blasts, with results from M1 upwards.
