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Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is the average volume of a red blood cell and is calculated by dividing the hematocrit (Hct) by the concentration of red blood cell count. [citation needed] = [] Normal range: 80–100 fL (femtoliter)
A complete blood count (CBC), also known as a full blood count (FBC), is a set of medical laboratory tests that provide information about the cells in a person's blood.The CBC indicates the counts of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets, the concentration of hemoglobin, and the hematocrit (the volume percentage of red blood cells).
Hematocrit levels that are too high or too low can indicate a blood disorder, dehydration, or other medical conditions. [4] An abnormally low hematocrit may suggest anemia, a decrease in the total amount of red blood cells, while an abnormally high hematocrit is called polycythemia. [5] Both are potentially life-threatening disorders.
One unit increase in hematocrit can cause up to a 4% increase in blood viscosity. [2] This relationship becomes increasingly sensitive as hematocrit increases. When the hematocrit rises to 60 or 70%, which it often does in polycythemia , [ 4 ] the blood viscosity can become as great as 10 times that of water, and its flow through blood vessels ...
The cell membrane is composed of proteins and lipids, and this structure provides properties essential for physiological cell function such as deformability and stability of the blood cell while traversing the circulatory system and specifically the capillary network. In humans, mature red blood cells are flexible biconcave disks.
The changes in shape and flexibility affect the mechanical properties of whole blood. A change in plasma osmotic pressure alters the hematocrit, that is, the volume concentration of red cells in the whole blood by redistributing water between the intravascular and extravascular spaces. This in turn affects the mechanics of the whole blood.
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Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen.This can be due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin available for oxygen transport, or abnormalities in hemoglobin that impair its function.