A prolymphocyte is a

white blood cell White blood cells, also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are the cell (biology), cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and de ...

with a certain state of

cellular differentiation Cellular differentiation is the process in which a stem cell alters from one type to a differentiated one. Usually, the cell changes to a more specialized type. Differentiation happens multiple times during the development of a multicellular ...

in lymphocytopoiesis. In the 20th century it was believed that a sequence of general maturation changed cells from

lymphoblast __NOTOC__ A lymphoblast is a modified naive lymphocyte with altered cell morphology. It occurs when the lymphocyte is activated by an antigen (from antigen-presenting cells) and increased in volume by nucleus and cytoplasm growth as well as new mRN ...

s to prolymphocytes and then to

lymphocyte A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell (leukocyte) in the immune system of most vertebrates. Lymphocytes include natural killer cells (which function in cell-mediated, cytotoxic innate immunity), T cells (for cell-mediated, cytotoxic ad ...

s (the lymphocytic series), with each being a precursor of the last. Today it is believed that the differentiation of cells in the lymphocyte line is not always simply chronologic but rather depends on antigen exposure, such that, for example, lymphocytes can become lymphoblasts. The size is between 10 and 18 μm.

References

External links

Histology at hematologyatlas.com (found in sixth row)
Lymphocytes {{Developmental-biology-stub

See also

References

External links