Rupturing of red blood cells is called which term?

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Multiple Choice

Rupturing of red blood cells is called which term?

Rupture of red blood cells is called hemolysis. This term comes from blood (hem/o) and breakdown or loosening (lysis), and it describes the destruction of erythrocytes with the release of hemoglobin. If destruction occurs inside blood vessels, it’s intravascular hemolysis; if it happens mainly by macrophages in the spleen or liver, it’s extravascular hemolysis. Hemolysis can lead to anemia and increased bilirubin as heme is broken down, which is why jaundice can appear with excessive red cell breakdown. The other terms relate to consequences or signs rather than the rupture itself: hematuria is blood in the urine, jaundice is yellowing from bilirubin buildup, and reticulocytosis is a bone marrow response with more young red cells.

Rupture of red blood cells is called hemolysis. This term comes from blood (hem/o) and breakdown or loosening (lysis), and it describes the destruction of erythrocytes with the release of hemoglobin. If destruction occurs inside blood vessels, it’s intravascular hemolysis; if it happens mainly by macrophages in the spleen or liver, it’s extravascular hemolysis. Hemolysis can lead to anemia and increased bilirubin as heme is broken down, which is why jaundice can appear with excessive red cell breakdown. The other terms relate to consequences or signs rather than the rupture itself: hematuria is blood in the urine, jaundice is yellowing from bilirubin buildup, and reticulocytosis is a bone marrow response with more young red cells.

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