Blood and Blood Vessels

anemia

low number of red blood cells or low hemoglobin

polycythemia

too many red blood cells

thrombocytosis

too many platelets

hypercoagulation

tendency to form thromboseses/clots

thrombocytopenia

too low, insufficient platelet numbers

hemophilia

genetic disorders, clotting factors are lacking or nonfunctional

leukopenia

too few white blood cells

leukocytosis

excessive white blood cell production of nonfunctional white blood cells, not cancerous

leukemia

white blood cell cancer, excess white blood cells that don’t function properly

lymphoma

cancerous white blood cells (B and T lymphocytes) collect in lymph nodes, the spleen, the liver, and others; nonfunctioning white blood cells

erythocytes

red blood cells, hemoglobin, anemia

leukocytes

white blood cells, fight infection

thrombocytes

platelets

blood test: hematocrit

% of blood that is erythrocytes

bone marrow biopsy

diagnostic test of a sample of red bone marrow

bone marrow transplant

treatment when donor’s healthy bone marrow and its stem cells replace the faulty bone marrow of the patient

hemolytic disease of the newborn

Occurs when the mother has a different blood type than the fetus, most commonly Rh-negative mother with Rh-positive baby

arteriosclerosis

the stiffening or hardening of the artery walls, often caused by high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, or diabetes

varicose veins

swollen, twisted, and enlarged veins

hemorrhage

rapid, excessive escape of blood from damaged vessels