File:Aspirated seed-derived storage cells - Lung (50707793107).jpg

The upper left image shows a recently aspirated seed-derived storage cell without any degenerative changes The remainder of the images show the various appearance of aspirated, seed-derived storage cells with degenerative changes due to digestion and/or inflammation. Cells such as these are mostly often found in oral lesions, in lung tissue following aspiration and in and around GI tract perforations.

The terminology that has been used for these cells includes legume, lentil, pulse and starch granule. These are incorrect. The human diet contains seeds such as lentils, peas, beans, corn kernels and many others. Mature seeds contain an embryo and storage cells; endosperm and/or cotyledon cells. The storage cells provide nutrition to the embryo; they contain starch, protein, and lipid granules in varying amounts. Plants that produce seeds with 1 cotyledon are monocots; those with 2 cotyledons are dicots. The main source of nutrition for the embryo in monocots (corn, coconut, grains, etc.) is generally from endosperm cells, and from cotyledon cells (peas, beans, legumes, etc.) in dicots. These 2 cell types are usually difficult to distinguish based on their H&E morphology unless the seed of origin is known. However, distinguishing between them is of no practical significance for pathologists.

According to the Food & Agricultural Organization of the UN ,the term "pulses" is limited to leguminous plants harvested solely for dry grain, thereby excluding crops harvested green for food (green peas, green beans, etc.) which are classified as vegetable crops. Also excluded are those crops used mainly for oil extraction (e.g. soy beans and ground nuts) and leguminous crops (e.g. seeds of clover and alfalfa) that are used exclusively for sowing purposes.