Hematology 1 Practice Test

Anulocytes are RBCs that show extreme hypochromia with a very thin rim of hemoglobin and a large central clear area, giving a ring-like appearance. This ring-shaped cell reflects markedly reduced hemoglobin inside the cell, as seen in severe iron deficiency or other hypochromic states.

Spherocytes lack central pallor and appear dense and round, so they don’t have the thin hemoglobin rim. Elliptocytes are oval or pencil-shaped, not ring-shaped. Ring forms refer to malaria parasite rings inside RBCs, not the cell’s own morphology.