Anemia

Anemia (American English) or anaemia (Commonwealth English), which literally means "without blood," is a deficiency of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. This results in a reduced ability of blood to transfer oxygen to the tissues. Hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying protein in the red blood cells) has to be present to ensure adequate oxygenation of all body tissues and organs.

Related Topics:
American English - Commonwealth English - Red blood cell - Hemoglobin - Oxygen - Tissues - Protein

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The three main causes of anemia include excessive blood loss (hemorrhage), excessive red blood cell destruction (hemolysis) or deficient red blood cell production.

Related Topics:
Hemorrhage - Hemolysis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood. There are several kinds of anemia, produced by a variety of underlying causes. Anemia is classified according to the size of the red blood cell: decreased (microcytic), normal (normocytic) or enlarged (macrocytic or megaloblastic).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~