10.1 Blood Introduction

Introduction

Hematology (hĕm-ă-TŎL-ō-jē) is the study of blood, blood components, and blood-forming organs and their impact on an individual’s health and well-being. The hematology system consists of the blood, the bone marrow, and accessory organs, including the spleen and the liver. Blood components consist of erythrocytes (red blood cells), leukocytes (white blood cells), thrombocytes (platelets), and clotting factors.

In the “Cardiovascular System Terminology” chapter, we learned how the heart serves as a pump to transport blood throughout the body via a network of arteries and veins. This chapter will discuss how components in the blood carry oxygen. The chapter will also discuss how the blood components participate in the immune response and how they help stop bleeding by forming a clot when there is an injury. Immune system function will be further discussed in the “Lymphatic & Immune Systems Terminology” chapter.

This chapter will review common word components related to the hematology system to assist learners in analyzing, building, and defining medical terms. Other terms, whose definitions cannot be easily built from word components, will be described in context based on the anatomy and physiology of the hematology system and common diseases and disorders. Medical specialists, diagnostic tests, and procedures related to the hematology system will also be discussed.