Hemoblast

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An immature cell from which blood cells develop and differentiate into various types of mature blood components
2. A primitive stem cell found in blood-forming tissue that gives rise to the different kinds of cells circulating in the bloodstream
3. An undifferentiated progenitor cell capable of developing into the specialized cells that make up blood

Etymology: "Hemoblast" is built from two Greek-derived parts: "haima", meaning blood, which gives the "hemo-" prefix, and "blastos", meaning sprout or germ, which gives "-blast". The "-blast" element appears in many scientific coinages for a cell in an early stage of development, so the word follows that pattern: a blood-forming precursor cell. The combination is a modern technical coinage built from classical elements, so the ancient Greeks had no term for it. Its meaning follows directly from its parts, with no sense shift or surprising history behind it.

Synonyms: hematoblast, blood-forming cell