Codocyte

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A red blood cell exhibiting a bullseye appearance due to a central pigmented spot surrounded by a clear area and a peripheral ring, often indicating certain blood disorders; it is an erythrocyte variant commonly associated with conditions like thalassemia and liver disease
2. A type of erythrocyte characterized by a target-like shape having a central area, a pale zone, and a darker outer ring, typically found in various anemias and hemoglobinopathies; such cells suggest abnormal hemoglobin or membrane composition
3. An abnormal form of red corpuscle distinguished by a concentric ring pattern resembling a target, which occurs in diseases involving altered red cell membrane or hemoglobin content; this cell morphology is useful for diagnosing specific hematologic abnormalities

Etymology: Codocytes get their name from the shape they were thought to resemble. The word combines Ancient Greek "kōdōn", meaning "bell", with the combining form "-cyte", from Greek "kytos", "hollow vessel" and used in modern science for cells. The result describes a cell that looks like a bell in outline, with its rim thickened and its centre pale and sunken. The bell in question is the shape that a blood smear shows under the microscope. A codocyte is a red blood cell that has taken on a target-like appearance, with a dark outer ring and a central dot or pale zone. The term is a modern scientific coinage built from classical roots, not a word that ancient Greek physicians used for blood.

Synonyms: target cell, Mexican hat cell