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Thenuclear–cytoplasmic ratio(also variously known as thenucleus:cytoplasm ratio,nucleus–cytoplasm ratio,N:C ratio,orN/C) is a measurement used incell biology.It is a ratio of the size (i.e., volume) of thenucleusof a cell to the size of thecytoplasmof that cell.[1]
The N:C ratio indicates the maturity of a cell, because as a cell matures the size of its nucleus generally decreases. For example, "blast" forms oferythrocytes,leukocytes,andmegakaryocytesstart with an N:C ratio of 4:1, which decreases as they mature to 2:1 or even 1:1 (with exceptions for maturethrombocytesand erythrocytes, which areanuclear cells,and maturelymphocytes,which only decrease to a 3:1 ratio and often retain the original 4:1 ratio).[1]
An increased N:C ratio is commonly associated with precancerous dysplasia as well as with malignant cells.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abTurgeon, Mary Louise (2005).Clinical hematology: theory and procedures.Hagerstwon, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 67.ISBN0-7817-5007-5.
Further reading
edit- Herbert E. Nieburgs (1967). "Nuclear/Cytoplasmic Ratio (N/C) and Nuclear Chromatin".Diagnostic cell pathology in tissue and smears.New York & London: Grune & Stratton. pp. 15–16.
- Takahashi, Masayoshi (1981).Color atlas of cancer cytology(2nd ed.). New York: Igaku-Shoin. pp. 32–34, 50.ISBN0-89640-050-6.
- John D. Bancroft; Alan Stevens (1982).Theory and practice of histological techniques(2nd ed.). Churchill Livingstone. pp. 438–439.