Identification: drumstick appendage in neutrophils: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Forensic Medicine · Identification: drumstick appendage in neutrophils

Sample item

A blood film from an unidentified body shows neutrophils with a small drumstick-shaped nuclear projection. What does this appendage represent?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. The inactivated X chromosome (sex chromatin)

In females one X chromosome is inactivated and appears as a Barr body in epithelial cells and as a drumstick in a small proportion of neutrophils. Its presence indicates a female chromosomal sex; a Y body is shown by quinacrine fluorescence, not by a drumstick.

Option by option

  • A. A remnant of the nucleolus

    The nucleolus is not visible as a projection from the neutrophil nucleus.

  • B. The fluorescent body of the Y chromosome

    The Y body is seen by fluorescence of the long arm of the Y chromosome.

  • C. The inactivated X chromosome (sex chromatin) (correct)

    Correct. The drumstick is the inactivated X in neutrophils.

  • D. A phagocytosed bacterium

    A bacterium would stain differently and lie in the cytoplasm.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Forensic Medicine questions

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is C, The inactivated X chromosome (sex chromatin). In females one X chromosome is inactivated and appears as a Barr body in epithelial cells and as a drumstick in a small proportion of neutrophils.

Why is "A remnant of the nucleolus" not the answer?

The nucleolus is not visible as a projection from the neutrophil nucleus.

Why is "The fluorescent body of the Y chromosome" not the answer?

The Y body is seen by fluorescence of the long arm of the Y chromosome.

Why is "A phagocytosed bacterium" not the answer?

A bacterium would stain differently and lie in the cytoplasm.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Identification: drumstick appendage in neutrophils in Forensic Medicine. Its presence indicates a female chromosomal sex; a Y body is shown by quinacrine fluorescence, not by a drumstick.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Identification: drumstick appendage in neutrophils?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.