Blood-cell morphology practice for MLS students

Use five peripheral-smear images to practice a repeatable identification process: describe what you see, compare the closest alternatives, then reveal the answer. This page is educational practice, not a diagnostic reference.

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A five-image morphology check

Question 1

Peripheral blood-smear image for morphology question 1
Describe the cell's shape, density, and central pallor.
Reveal identification

Spherocyte. Look for a round, dense red cell with reduced or absent central pallor. Compare its size with nearby red cells before deciding.

Question 2

Peripheral blood-smear image for morphology question 2
Focus on how hemoglobin is distributed within the cell.
Reveal identification

Target cell. The central and peripheral hemoglobin creates the characteristic bull's-eye appearance. The ASH Image Bank describes this pattern as an increased membrane-to-volume relationship.

Question 3

Peripheral blood-smear image for morphology question 3
Decide whether the red cells have a complete outline or appear fragmented.
Reveal identification

Schistocytes. These are fragmented red cells with irregular outlines. Train with several examples because individual fragments can take different forms.

Question 4

Peripheral blood-smear image for morphology question 4
Look for a consistent tapered end rather than drying artifact.
Reveal identification

Teardrop cell (dacrocyte). Identify the pear-shaped outline and compare multiple cells across the smear before treating the finding as meaningful.

Question 5

Peripheral blood-smear image for morphology question 5
Separate intracellular granules from material sitting on top of the cell.
Reveal identification

Basophilic stippling. Look for multiple blue-purple granules distributed through the red cell. Confirm the staining pattern using a trusted atlas and the full smear context.

A recognition checklist that transfers

  1. Start with scale. Compare the cell with nearby red cells and a small lymphocyte when available.
  2. Describe before naming. Record outline, central pallor, color, inclusions, nucleus, cytoplasm, and granules.
  3. Name the closest confusion. A useful answer explains why the image is one finding and not its nearest look-alike.
  4. Review several examples. One photograph teaches a prototype; a gallery teaches variation.
  5. Reconnect morphology to context. Use course materials and established references to relate a pattern to laboratory results and clinical context.

Continue practicing

ViviCell includes focused cell-identification sessions, an atlas, spaced review, and more than 1,500 sourced microscopy images. You can also browse the peer-reviewed ASH Image Bank atlas.

Practice images are drawn from ViviCell's sourced microscopy collection; source details for individual images are recorded in the app. Target-cell recognition context was checked against the ASH Image Bank. Educational use only; confirm findings against your program's references and laboratory procedures.