Definitions for Reading Blood

apheresis: a procedure in which blood is drawn from a donor and separated into its components, some of which are retained, such as plasma or platelets, and the remainder returned by transfusion to the donor. Also called hemapheresis..

cryopreserve: to preserve (cells or tissue for example) by freezing at very low temperatures

factor Xa: an activated component of the coagulation cascade.

glycoproteins: a group proteins that contains a carbohydrate component.

hemostasis: stop bleeding

hepatosplenomegaly: increase in liver and spleen weights

liquid perfluorocarbon: a hydrocarbon where fluorine takes the place of hydrogen. Teflon is an example of a perfluorocarbon solid.

lyophilization: freeze-drying.

megakaryocyte: a large bone marrow cell with a lobulate nucleus that gives rise to blood platelets.

oxygen therapeutics: the term “oxygen therapeutics” is used since these products do not replicate all the functions of blood and they can be used for products in which red blood cells are not used.

phospholipid surfactant: a substance that reduces the surface tension of the liquid in which it is dissolved.

phospholipid vesicles: are prepared with platelet glycoproteins .

prions: non-bacterial and non-viral infectious agents which transmit BSE (mad cow disease) and variants of Creutzfield-Jacobs disease in humans

psoralen: a substance C11 H6 O3 found in some plants capable of forming photoadducts with nucleic acids if irradiated with ultraviolet light (one application is photosensitization of mammalian skin, used in conjunction with ultraviolet light to treat psoriasis).

thrombocytopenia: a condition with a low blood platelet level.

thrombogenic response: a clotting response.