System – Blood

What Are Anti-tissue Transglutaminase Antibodies? Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (anti-tTG) are connective tissue autoantibodies and can be detected in blood samples from affected persons who are reacting to gluten in the diet. Autoantibodies are abnormal because they attack the body’s own ...

What Is Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia? Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is a megaloblastic anemia that is characterized by defective DNA synthesis of red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is essential for normal blood cell formation. ...

What Is Hypokalemia? Hypokalemia means the level of potassium in the bloodstream is too low to meet metabolic needs of the body for this mineral and is characterized by metabolic acidosis, altered nerve conduction and muscle contraction. Rapid potassium loss can ...

What Is Refractory Iron Deficiency Anemia In Childhood? Refractory iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a microcytic (small cell) type anemia. It is characterized by formation of abnormally small, pale red blood cells and iron depletion, or inadequate iron content in ...

What Is Severe Iron Deficiency Anemia In Pregnancy? Severe iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy is characterized by abnormal formation of small, pale red blood cells that impair the ability of the fetus to obtain adequate oxygen for proper growth and ...

What Is Easy Bruising? Ecchymosis, or easy bruising, is a feature of impaired secondary hemostasis (blood clotting) characterized by subcutaneous bleeding (under the skin) in response to light trauma. Q: What causes easy bruising? A: Easy bruising is the direct ...

What Is Transient Erythroblastopenia? Transient erythroblastopenia is a rare disorder of red blood cell formation characterized by brief, reversible disappearance of erythroblasts (red blood cell precursors) in the bone marrow of children. Q: What do the red blood cells look ...

What Is Neutropenia? Neutropenia  is a blood disorder characterized by presence of an abnormally low number of neutrophils. Neutrophils are white blood cells (leukocytes) that serves as the primary defense against infections by destroying bacteria in the blood.  Specfically, neutrophils are ...

What Is Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura? Immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP), formerly called idiopathic, is an immune mediated bleeding disorder characterized by destruction of circulating platelets (thrombocytes) by autoantibodies in the presence of normal bone marrow and without other conditions that cause ...

What Is Hypoprothrombinemia? Hypoprothrombinemia is a deficiency of prothrombin (clotting factor II) in the blood that is characterized by impaired hemostasis in response to trauma or a laceration. Q: What is hemostasis and how is it altered by a deficiency of prothrombin? A: Hemostasis ...

What Is Macrolipasemia? Macrolipasemia is a rare enzyme disorder characterized by altered molecules of lipase, a pancreatic enzyme needed to digest fats, that are abnormally bound with serum antibody proteins. These antibodies are commonly immunoglobulin G (IgG) and/or less likely immunoglobulin A ...

What Is Macrocytosis? Macrocytosis is a blood cell disorder characterized by altered blood cell formation that results in abnormally large erythrocytes (red blood cells) circulating in the bloodstream. The mean corpuscular volume (MCV), which is a measure of the size of ...

What Is Macroamylasemia? Macroamylasemia is an acquired enzyme disorder that causes elevated levels of the enzyme amylase (hyperamylasaemia) in the bloodstream. It is characterized by altered amylase molecules that have become abnormally bound with plasma proteins in the bloodstream, commonly ...

What Is Hypophosphatemia? Hypophosphatemia means the level of phosphates in the bloodstream is too low to meet metabolic needs of the body for this mineral. Q: How important is phosphorus in metabolism? A: Phosphorus is crucial to  life, being present ...

What Is Hypoglycemia? Hypoglycemia means the level of glucose within cells is too low to meet metabolic needs of the body for this essential sugar. Q: What are the metabolic needs for glucose? A: Glucose is the most important simple ...