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Red blood cells differentiate in association with a macrophage at the center of erythroblastic islands. At the final stage, pyrenocytes, nuclei covered by plasma membrane, are expelled from erythroblasts and engulfed by the macrophage. This process was reproduced in vitro by culturing erythroblastic islands in methylcellulose-containing medium. The image shows the central macrophages carrying many engulfed propidium iodide-positive pyrenocytes. See the article by Toda et al on page 3963.