Hematocrit (Blood Test) Glossary of Terms

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Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Apnea: The absence of breathing (respiration).

Blood count: The calculated number of white or red blood cells (WBCs or RBCs) in a cubic m...

Blood transfusion: The transfer of blood or blood components from one person (the donor) i...

Bone marrow: The soft blood-forming tissue that fills the cavities of bones and contains f...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Capillary: A tiny blood vessel that connects an arteriole (the smallest division of an art...

CBC: A commonly used abbreviation in medicine that stands for complete blood count, a set...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Colon: The long, coiled, tubelike organ that removes water from digested food. The remaini...

Colon cancer: A malignant tumor arising from the inner wall of the large intestine (the co...

Complete blood count: A set values of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These meas...

Congenital: A condition that is present at birth, whether or not it is inherited.

COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Any disorder that persistently obstructs bron...

Cor pulmonale: Heart disease that results from abnormally high resistance to the passage o...

Dehydration: Excessive loss of body water. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that ca...

Enlarged spleen: Splenomegaly, or an enlargement of the spleen. This condition can occur w...

Folate: Folic acid, one of the B vitamins that is a key factor in the synthesis (the makin...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heat exhaustion: A warning that the body is getting too hot. The person may be thirsty, gi...

Hematocrit: The proportion of the blood that consists of packed red blood cells. The hema...

Hemoglobin: The oxygen-carrying pigment and predominant protein in the red blood cells. He...

High altitude: Altitude sickness occurs at high altitude. So what is high altitude?

Internal bleeding: Bleeding inside the body that is not seen from the outside. Internal bl...

Iron: An essential mineral. Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen (via hemoglobin ...

Malnutrition: A term used to refer to any condition in which the body does not receive eno...

Marrow: The bone marrow.

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Polycythemia: Too many red blood cells. The opposite of anemia. polycythemia formally exis...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Pulmonary fibrosis: Scarring throughout the lungs that can be caused by many conditions, s...

Red blood cells: The blood cells that carry oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is...

Red cells: Short for red blood cells, the oxygen/carbon dioxide carrying cells in blood. A...

Serum: The clear liquid that can be separated from clotted blood. Serum differs from plas...

Sickle cell anemia: A genetic blood disease due to the presence of an abnormal form of hem...

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Sleep apnea: The temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep, often resulting in daytime ...

Spleen: An organ that is located in the upper-left part of the abdomen, not far from the s...

Transfusion: The transfer of blood or blood products from one person (the donor) into the ...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.