| anemia | <haematology> Too few red blood cells in the bloodstream, resulting in insufficient oxygen to tissues and organs. Origin: Gr. Haima = blood (16 Dec 1997) |
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| anaemia, hypochromic | Anaemia characterised by a decrease in the ratio of the weight of haemoglobin to the volume of the erythrocyte, i.e., the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration is less than normal. The individual cells contain less haemoglobin than they could have under optimal conditions. Hypochromic anaemia may be caused by iron deficiency from a low iron intake, diminished iron absorption, or excessive iron loss. It can also be caused by infections or other diseases, therapeutic drugs, lead poisoning, and other conditions. (12 Dec 1998) |
| hypochromic | Synonym: hypochromatic. 2. Denoting decrease in light absorption with a shift in lambdainferior to a lower wavelength. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hypochromic anaemia | Anaemia characterised by a decrease in the ratio of the weight of haemoglobin to the volume of the erythrocyte, i.e., the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration is less than normal; the individual cells contain less haemoglobin than they could have under optimal conditions. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hypochromic effect | A phenomenon in which an individual molecule, containing several chromophores, has a certain absorptivity (or optical density) at a given wavelength that is less than the sum of the optical densities of the individual chromophores (at that same wavelength). (05 Mar 2000) |
| hypochromic microcytic anaemia | Anaemia due to iron deficiency or thalassaemia, and characterised by lower than normal mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration. (05 Mar 2000) |