1. The developmental stage of a granular leukocyte between the myeloblast and myelocyte, when a few specific granules appear in addition to azurophilic ones. 2. A large uninuclear cell occurring in the circulating blood of persons with myelocytic leukemia. SYN: premyelocyte, progranulocyte. [pro- + G. myelos, marrow, + kytos, cell]
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pro·my·elo·cyte (')prō-'mī-ə-lə-.sīt n a cell in bone marrow that is in an intermediate stage of development between a myeloblast and a myelocyte and has the characteristic granulations but lacks the specific staining reactions of a mature granulocyte of the blood called also premyelocyte, progranulocyte
pro·my·elo·cyt·ic (.)prō-.mī-ə-lə-'sit-ik adj
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n.
the developmental stage of a granulocyte (a type of white blood cell) between the myeloblast and the myelocyte. It has abundant cytoplasm that, with Romanowsky stains, appears blue with reddish granules. Promyelocytes are normally found in the blood-forming tissue of the bone marrow but may appear in the blood in a variety of diseases. See also granulopoiesis.
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pro·my·elo·cyte (pro-miґə-lo-sīt) a precursor in the granulocytic series, being a cell intermediate in development between a myeloblast and myelocyte and containing a few, as yet undifferentiated, cytoplasmic granules. Called also premyelocyte and progranulocyte.Medical dictionary. 2011.