| Basis of differentiation | Lymphoblast | Lymphocyte | 
| Definition | Is an immature white blood cell that acts as a progenitor for lymphocyte | Is a mature white blood cell that is derived from lymphoblast | 
| Location | Found mainly in the red bone marrow | Found in various parts of the body, mainly the thymus, blood, and spleen | 
| Size | Around 10-18 µm | Around 17-20 µm | 
| Number of nucleoli | Contains 1 – 2 nucleoli | Does not contain nucleoli | 
| Cytoplasmic granules | Absent | Few azurophilic granules may be found | 
| Nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio | 4:1 | 2:1 | 
| Chromatin | May have fine nuclear chromatin or condensed chromatin | Chromatin is dense and clumped |