What Are Lymphoblasts?

Lymphoblasts are cells that are found in the body, but finding out exactly what they are can be difficult if you are unsure what they do.

If you have heard about lymphoblasts, you might be intrigued to find out more about what they are and what you need to know about them. 

Finding out more about lymphoblasts can help you become more familiar with them, but where should you begin?

It can be difficult to wrap your head around what they are if you do not know, but you can find out more about them here to help you feel more informed. 

This article will explain more about what lymphoblasts are to give you a basic understanding of them.

You can find out more below to develop your knowledge of lymphoblasts and form a better understanding of what they are, what functions they carry out, where they are found in the body, and how they are different from other cells. 

What Are Lymphoblasts?

Lymphoblasts are found in the red bone marrow and are produced along a lymphoid stem cell lineage.

As they are produced along this lineage, they are usually produced as healthy lymphocytes that help to fight infections in the body and make up your immune system.

Without these cells, your body would not be able to fight off infections or keep you healthy. 

Although lymphoblasts usually produce healthy lymphocytes, they can fail to become mature and they produce abnormal cells in place of healthy ones.

This can cause lymphoblastic leukemia, which can happen when the cells are produced too quickly.

Cells that are produced too quickly are abnormal, so it is important to look out for symptoms and to consult a doctor if you notice anything unusual. 

What Is The Difference Between Lymphocytes And Lymphocytes?

Although lymphoblasts form lymphocytes, several differences between them need to be noted.

It is important to recognize that they each carry out different functions in the body and that they are not the same cell, despite lymphocytes being formed from lymphoblasts.

They are different cells, but what makes them different from each other?

Where They Are Found In The Body

When the lymphocytes are healthy, they can be found in the red bone marrow.

As these lymphocytes are in the blood, they can be carried around the body as they are in the blood circulation, so they are not restricted to only residing in one area. 

Lymphoblasts are restricted to reside in one area of the body as they are specialized, so they can only perform their specific function in that one area.

Therefore, lymphocytes can freely travel around the body in the bloodstream, whereas lymphoblasts are restricted to only remaining in one area. 

The Level Of Differentiation

One of the main ways of differentiating between lymphoblasts and lymphocytes is their level of differentiation, meaning how unspecialized cells become specialized to perform specific functions.

Lymphoblast cells go through a differentiation process to create lymphocytes, but it is not as differentiated as other cells that they produce. 

When you are comparing lymphoblasts and lymphocytes, lymphocytes are more differentiated.

This is because lymphocytes produce more specialized cells that become B cells and T cells, meaning that the cells are more differentiated than lymphoblasts.

Due to this, lymphocytes are more differentiated than lymphoblasts. 

Precursors

Another one of the main differences between lymphoblasts and lymphocytes is shown by looking at the precursors.

Although both of the cells are created through the same lineage, they do not share the same precursors. 

Lymphoblasts that are found in the red bone marrow are produced through the lymphoid stem cells.

These stem cells are controlled by IL-5, AG-CSF, and IL-3, whereas lymphocytes are produced through prolymphocytes going through the process of differentiation.

The prolymphocytes are created from lymphoblasts, but they still do not share the same precursors. 

Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines

As lymphocytes come from the lymphoblast, the lineage can be shown through the lymphoblastoid cell lines.

These cell lines refer to the cells that are often used as substitutes for blood lymphocytes in the body.

They can be produced by infecting these B Cells with the Epstein-Barr virus, which is one of the most common viruses that infect humans. 

The cells are very important as it means that they can be studied to show the properties of the cells and their responses.

Once they have been infected, the lymphoblastoid cell lines can be immortalized.

This means that they can continue to grow and create new cells that can then be studied.

Not all B Cells are infected, only the resting ones. 

The B Cells that have been infected remain inactive within the cells, but they are still able to produce proteins in the body.

As well as lengthening their life span, the lymphoblastoid cell lines produce immunoglobulin.

Immunoglobulin is a B Cell receptor, meaning that it can help to bind the cells to antigens. 

One of the main advantages of a lymphoblastoid cell line is that the cells show low rates of mutations from environmental factors, such as radiation or chemicals.

This allows scientists to study these cells to see how they can mutate less compared to other cells, forming a better understanding of the mutation process. 

Structure

You can see the difference between lymphocytes and lymphoblasts through their structures and how they can morph.

Lymphoblasts can morph into different structures as some have a large, small, or medium-sized nucleus, showing how the cells can differentiate from the others. 

When the chromatin is a smaller size than others, this is an indication that the cytoplasm is not adequate.

You can easily identify the nucleus as the membrane is well developed, so you can find where the nucleus is and identify it. 

Similarly, lymphocyte cells have a large nucleus and not much cytoplasm, but they do contain an important amount of organelles.

The organelles are structures that are specialized and are living within a cell, so you can see the difference between lymphocytes and lymphoblasts based on the size of their nuclei.  

What Is The Difference Between A Lymphoblast And A Myeloblast?

A myeloblast is an immature blood cell that is found in the granulocytic cell that is found in the myeloid lineage.

Myeloblast cells have a large nucleus that takes up a lot of the overall volume of the cell, so they do not contain much cytoplasm or organelles. They do contain a few nuclei, which is what makes the nucleus so large. 

Despite myeloblasts and lymphoblasts being created from hematocytoblasts, there are several differences between them.

Knowing the differences between the two are important, as they are not the same type of cells. 

Shape Of The Nucleus

One of the main differences between a lymphoblast and a myeloblast is the shape of the nucleus.

The nucleus of lymphoblast cells is usually a round shape that resembles a circle, while the nucleus of myeloblast cells tends to vary in shape.

This is a clear way of differentiating between the two. 

The Size Of The Cells

Although both lymphoblast and myeloblast cells are very large, you can differentiate between the two as the myeloblast cells are usually larger.

Lymphoblast cells are usually made up of an average of 15 microns, whereas myeloblast cells are made up of around 20 microns. 

Creating Specialist Cells

Lymphoblast and myeloblast cells create different cells from one another in the differentiation process.

Lymphoblasts create lymphocytes, which can then create T cells and B cells during differentiation, and myeloblasts create granulocytes, like neutrophils and basophils, through the granules in the cytoplasm.

The Similarities Between Myeloblast Cells And Lymphoblast Cells

Despite having some differences, myeloblast, and lymphoblast cells have some similarities.

It is important to be aware of the similarities as well as the differences to ensure that you have a better understanding of the cells. 

They Are Found In The Bone Marrow

Despite their differences, both myeloblast cells and lymphoblast cells can be found in the bone marrow.

This means that they can create specialized cells in the bone marrow.

The cells that are formed from the lymphoblast cells will then leave to migrate to other areas of the body to make sure that they are carrying out their specialized functions. 

They Are Both Progenitors

Lymphoblasts and myeloblasts are both progenitor cells, but the specialized cells that they produce are not.

They are both progenitor cells as they can go through the differentiation process to create other specialized cells, making them very similar.

Despite both being progenitors, this does not mean that they are closely related or the same type of cell. 

They Are Both Parts Of Hematopoiesis

Both lymphoblasts and myeloblasts are created from the hematocytoblast, where their differentiation means that they can create other types of blood cells that are heavily involved in making up the immune system.

As they create other blood cells for the immune system, lymphoblast and myeloblast cells are very important parts of hematopoiesis. 

How Can Lymphoblasts Affect Your Health?

Abnormal lymphoblast cells can affect your health, and one of the health issues that you can have from abnormal cells is acute lymphocytic leukemia.

The cancer is a blood cancer that affects the bone marrow, which is where the lymphoblast cells are created.

It is common cancer, but there are treatments available to help cure this type of cancer. 

The main cause of acute lymphocytic leukemia is when the cells in the bone marrow start to mutate in DNA.

It causes the production of the blood cells to become abnormal, which results in more immature cells, which results in more lymphoblasts developing.

During the tests, the doctor will take a sample of bone marrow to see if there is a high volume of lymphoblasts present in the bone marrow, which could indicate cancer. 

Having blood tests, bone marrow tests, and imaging tests can diagnose this cancer.

The tests will reveal more about your blood cells, and your bone marrow, and will determine where the cancer is, so it is important to have the tests if you have any symptoms.

Having the right tests is important for ensuring that you get the right diagnosis and that you can begin the correct treatment for the problem.

Pain in bones, weight loss, excessive bruising, and reoccurring infections are all symptoms, but they are also symptoms of other health issues.

It is important to speak to your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms and they will be able to help you with a diagnosis.

You must remember that these symptoms do not necessarily mean cancer, but it is important to recognize that they need to be assessed by a doctor. 

Final Thoughts

To conclude, lymphoblasts are immature cells that are found in the body that do not perform any other functions except for producing other specialized cells.

Lymphoblasts create lymphocytes, which can freely travel around the body to the area that they need to be in as they further differentiate specialized cells as they are mature cells. 

There are several similarities between lymphoblasts and other cells, such as lymphocytes and myeloblasts, but it is important to recognize that they are all different.

Despite having similar functions such as producing other specialized cells, they differ in size and what other functions they can perform, so knowing the differences between them is important. 

Lymphoblasts can become abnormal due to mutations, which can cause health issues.

One of the health issues that these abnormal cells can cause is acute lymphocytic leukemia, which is a blood cancer.

It is important to speak to a doctor if you have any of the symptoms, but it is important to remember that these symptoms can also be causes of other health issues, so having tests done is important to determine the cause of the problem. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Do Lymphoblasts Do?

Lymphoblasts are immature white blood cells, so they do not have any function in the body except for producing specialized cells.

These specialized cells are called lymphocytes, which also go on to produce specialized cells.

They are very important for making sure that your immune system is healthy and functioning well, so having healthy lymphoblasts is ideal for your body. 

As lymphoblasts only produce lymphocytes, lymphocytes are more differentiated than lymphoblasts.

This is because lymphocytes can produce T cells and B cells, creating more specialized cells that support the immune system.

Lymphoblasts do not produce any other specialized cells and they do not have any other functions as they are immature cells. 

Can Lymphoblasts Cause Cancer?

When lymphoblasts are produced normally, they produce specialized cells that are important for your body.

However, they can develop abnormally, which can cause cancer.

When the cells are produced abnormally, there are too many of them in one place as lymphoblasts do not migrate, which can result in cancer. 

Bone pains, weight loss, and regular reoccurring infections are all symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukemia, but it is important to remember that they can also be symptoms of other health issues.

If you experience any of these symptoms, you must see a doctor so that they can run the right tests to discover the cause of these problems for you.

Where Are Lymphoblasts Found In The Body?

Lymphoblasts are found in red bone marrow, but they cannot migrate around the body.

The reason for this is that they do not need to leave the bone marrow as their only function can take place in the bone marrow.

Unlike lymphocytes, they do not need to travel to other areas of the body to carry out their specialized functions. 

As the lymphoblast cells do not have any other functions except for producing lymphocytes as they are immature cells, they do not travel around the body.

Lymphocytes are mature cells, so they can travel around the body to make sure that the specialist cells that they produce can work effectively in the area that they need to be in. 

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