Iron deficiency
FSC
SFL
Erythrocytes
Reticulocytes
RBC fragments
The erythrocyte population is shifted downward , indicating a population of erythrocytes of small size (low MCV). The cloud is elongated along the x-axis, indicating a clear distribution in cell size .
With iron deficiency, the erythroblast cannot make enough hemoglobin. During maturation in the bone marrow, these cells continue to divide until a certain hemoglobin concentration is reached; because this is slower with iron deficiency, additional cell divisions follow. Each division makes the cell smaller, eventually creating small, hemoglobin-deficient erythrocytes and lowering the MCV. Because hemoglobin also provides structural integrity, deficiency can lead to the formation of fragmentocytes.
Morphology
