| red blood cell | <haematology> Cell specialised for oxygen transport, having a high concentration of haemoglobin in the cytoplasm (and little else). Biconcave, anucleate discs, 7nm diameter in mammals, nucleus contracted and chromatin condensed in other vertebrates. Acronym: RBC (18 Nov 1997) |
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| red blood cell cast | A urinary cast composed of a matrix containing red cells in various stages of degeneration and visibility, characteristic of glomerular disease or renal parenchymal bleeding. Synonym: red cell cast. (05 Mar 2000) |
| red blood cell count | A normal value is 4.6-6.2 million RBC's per cubic millimetre of blood. This number can increase in cases of dehydration (fluid loss) or severe lung disease. Interestingly, red blood cell counts are much higher in those who live at high altitude, because of the increased demand for oxygen carrying capacity. (27 Sep 1997) |
| red blood cell indices | Laboratory measurements of red blood cell volume, size and haemoglobin concentration. These values are used to point to the specific cause for anaemia (iron deficiency, B12 deficiency, etc.) (27 Sep 1997) |
| red bone marrow | Bone marrow in which the meshes contain the developmental stages of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and megakaryocytes. Synonym: medulla ossium rubra. (05 Mar 2000) |
| red cell adherence phenomenon | A phenomenon manifested by the adherence of antigen-antibody-complement complex to "indicator cells" (microorganisms, platelets, leukocytes, or erythrocytes), the reaction being sensitive and specific for the antigen and antibody in the complex. Synonym: erythrocyte adherence phenomenon, immune adherence phenomenon, red cell adherence phenomenon. (05 Mar 2000) |
| red cell adherence test | The diagnostic application of the immune adhesion phenomenon. Synonym: erythrocyte adherence test, immune adhesion test, red cell adherence test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| red-cell aplasia, pure | Suppression of erythropoiesis with little or no abnormality of leukocyte or platelet production. (12 Dec 1998) |
| red cell cast | A urinary cast composed of a matrix containing red cells in various stages of degeneration and visibility, characteristic of glomerular disease or renal parenchymal bleeding. Synonym: red cell cast. (05 Mar 2000) |
| red corpuscle | A red blood cell. (18 Nov 1997) |
| red corpuscles | Red corpuscles are cells that carry oxygen in the blood. They are also called red blood cells or rbcs. (12 Dec 1998) |
| red cross | An international agency providing various humanitarian services. (12 Dec 1998) |
| red degeneration | Necrosis, with staining by haemoglobin, which may occur in uterine myomas, especially during pregnancy; marked by softening and a red colour resembling partly cooked meat. Synonym: carneous degeneration. (05 Mar 2000) |
| red drop effect | Experimental observation that the photosynthetic efficiency of monochromatic light is greatly reduced above 680 nm, even though chlorophyll absorbs well up to 700 nm. Led to the discovery of the two light reactions of photosynthesis. See: photosystems I and II. (18 Nov 1997) |
| red fever | An acute infectious disease with fever, headache, and rash, all quite similar to, but milder than, epidemic typhus, caused by a related microoganism, rickettsia typhi (mooseri), transmitted to humans by rat fleas (xenopsylla cheopis). The animal reservoir includes rats, mice and other rodents. Murine typhus occurs sporadically worldwide but is more prevalent in congested rat-infested urban areas. Also known as endemic typhus, rat-flea typhus; urban typhus of malaya). (12 Dec 1998) |