When discussing hematology there are a number of abbreviations used. RBC stands for red blood cells; MCV is short for mean corpuscular volume and MCH stands for mean corpuscular hemoglobin.
Hematology is the study of the blood and related organs, and diseases. Red blood cells are are the most common type of blood cell and the body's principal means of delivering oxygen around the body. They transport the oxygen from the lungs and release it into the body's capillaries. A quarter of the cells in a human body are red blood cells. Red blood cells can be obtained by separating the cells from the blood plasma. This is useful as red blood cells are pumped into body during plasma donation, and red blood cells can be kept for up to five weeks at the right temperature (-79 degrees Celsius).
Mean Corpuscular Volume is the measure of the average red blood cell volume against the complete blood count. MCV below or above normal range will cause anemia. If the MCV is below the normal range then a person is said to be suffering from microcytic anemia, whilst if the MCV is above the normal range it is classed as macrocytic anemia. MCV is calculated by dividing the packed cell volume by the red blood cell count. The result is measured in femtoliters. The normal MCV is generally between 80 and 100 femtoliters.
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin is the average mass of hemoglobin per red blood cell. This is normally reported as a part of a standard complete blood count. Hemoglobin is a type of protein found in the red blood cells and it is what carries the blood and releases the oxygen for use in cells, it also collects carbon dioxide and transports it to the lungs.
Hematology is the study of the blood and related organs, and diseases. Red blood cells are are the most common type of blood cell and the body's principal means of delivering oxygen around the body. They transport the oxygen from the lungs and release it into the body's capillaries. A quarter of the cells in a human body are red blood cells. Red blood cells can be obtained by separating the cells from the blood plasma. This is useful as red blood cells are pumped into body during plasma donation, and red blood cells can be kept for up to five weeks at the right temperature (-79 degrees Celsius).
Mean Corpuscular Volume is the measure of the average red blood cell volume against the complete blood count. MCV below or above normal range will cause anemia. If the MCV is below the normal range then a person is said to be suffering from microcytic anemia, whilst if the MCV is above the normal range it is classed as macrocytic anemia. MCV is calculated by dividing the packed cell volume by the red blood cell count. The result is measured in femtoliters. The normal MCV is generally between 80 and 100 femtoliters.
Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin is the average mass of hemoglobin per red blood cell. This is normally reported as a part of a standard complete blood count. Hemoglobin is a type of protein found in the red blood cells and it is what carries the blood and releases the oxygen for use in cells, it also collects carbon dioxide and transports it to the lungs.
