Lymphocytes: Origin, Structure, and Interrelationships 13 



tioning as a very real mother cell to the normoblasts which are receiving 

 their iron from it by a process which he compares with nursing. 



II the reticular cell of the marrow can eat its progeny and feed them as well, 

 then might not this also occur in other situations? Figure 1-3 shows features 

 which may be compared with those of Bessis' story of reticular cells, normo- 

 blasts, and iron. The reticular cell contains a complete series of what appear 

 to be lymphocytes in various stages of digestion, and it is surrounded by a 



Fig. 1-15. Bone marrow from patient with excess storage iron. 

 Wright's stain. Note reticular cell containing one engulfed red 

 cell and many granules. The cells impinging upon the cytoplasmic 

 membrane of the reticular cell include 2 normoblasts, 1 mature 

 and 2 young neutrophils, 2 lymphocytes, and 1 plasma cell. The 

 2 cells at the 2 and 3 o'clock positions are probably endothelial 

 cells, the reticular cell itself being perithelia!, (x 800) 



ring of lymphocytes. The union of the peripheral ring of lymphocytes and 

 the reticular cell seems intimate. White lines which look almost like scratch 

 marks on the three nuclei pushed into the cytoplasm of the reticular cell at 

 the 9 and 1 1 o'clock positions appear to be real extensions of the cytoplasm 

 of the reticular cell over the body of the lymphocyte. Is this reticular cell eat- 

 ing the cells in this ring or feeding them, or does it too have both functions? 

 Are the perivascular plasma cells feeding (see Figs. 1, 2, and 4, Plate 3, of 

 Reference 1 and Figs. 1-15 and 1-16 of this chapter)? Perivascular plasma cells 

 contain iron in hemochromatosis, 31 ' 37_39 although proof that they phagocytose 

 erythrocytes in this condition is lacking. Here we have assumed the iron may 



