Hematology
 Hematology is the study of blood, both the cells and the fluid portion,
called plasma. The cells include the red blood cells which carry
oxygen to the tissues, white blood cells which function in our
bodily defense, and platelets which are a major player i n blood
clotting. The plasma carries nutrients, other bodily chemicals
and messengers, and contains coagulation factors which help the
platelets in the clotting process. As medical lab scientists, we
study the origins of each of the blood components, the diseases
in any of these components, and how we can utilize laboratory
methods to help monitor the health of and diagnose diseases of
the blood. For example, a medical lab scientist may perform a
patient’s complete blood count (CBC) by means of a sophisticated
instrument. This blood count may be used by the physician or
health-care provider to diagnose sickle-cell anemia, leukemia or
an extreme infection. A medical lab scientist can also evaluate
the coagulation system by testing plasma and platelet
components, for example, to help monitor a patient with
hemophilia, or a heart-attack victim on blood-thinners.
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