When reviewing a blood smear, you come across an erythrocyte that does not contain its full amount of hemoglobin. What is this known as?

When reviewing a blood smear, you come across an erythrocyte that does not contain its full amount of hemoglobin. What is this known as?

• A. Polychromasia
• B. Basophilia
• C. Hyperchromasia
• D. Hypochromasia

Answer: (D)

Hypochromasia describes red blood cells that look paler than normal because they contain less hemoglobin. When a cell doesn’t load its hemoglobin fully, the staining is lighter and the central pallor is more pronounced. This pattern is classic in iron deficiency or conditions with reduced hemoglobin synthesis. The other terms refer to different changes: polychromasia is varied color from immature RBCs (reticulocytes), basophilia refers to basophilic stippling, and hyperchromasia would imply an abnormally intense staining not typical of cells with reduced Hb. So the erythrocyte with less than full hemoglobin content is hypochromic.

Hypochromasia describes red blood cells that look paler than normal because they contain less hemoglobin. When a cell doesn’t load its hemoglobin fully, the staining is lighter and the central pallor is more pronounced. This pattern is classic in iron deficiency or conditions with reduced hemoglobin synthesis. The other terms refer to different changes: polychromasia is varied color from immature RBCs (reticulocytes), basophilia refers to basophilic stippling, and hyperchromasia would imply an abnormally intense staining not typical of cells with reduced Hb. So the erythrocyte with less than full hemoglobin content is hypochromic.