National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Blood and Blood Disorders is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
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National Institutes of Health
Blood and Blood Disorders
Also called: Hematologic diseases
Your blood is living tissue made up of liquid and solids. The liquid part, called plasma, is made of water, salts and protein. Over half of your blood is plasma. The solid part of your blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Red blood cells deliver oxygen from your lungs to your tissues and organs. White blood cells fight infection and are part of your body's defense system. Platelets help blood to clot. Bone marrow, the spongy material inside your bones, makes new blood cells. Blood cells constantly die and your body makes new ones. Red blood cells live about 120 days, platelets 6 days and white cells less than a day.
There are many types of blood disorders, including: bleeding disorders, platelet disorders, hemophilia and anemia. If you lose blood, you may need a transfusion.
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Blood Basics(American Society of Hematology)
- What Is Blood?(AABB, America's Blood Centers)
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Latest News
- Blood Type May Be Associated with Stroke Risk(11/16/2011, HealthDay)
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Blood Smear(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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Blood Tests(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Complete Blood Count(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Hemoglobin Variants(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Symptoms and Diagnosis of Blood Disorders(Merck & Co., Inc.)
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Treatment
- How Is Lymphocytopenia Treated?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Specific Conditions
- Blood Types(American Red Cross)
- Eosinophilia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Hemoglobin C, S-C, and E Diseases(Merck & Co., Inc.)
- High Red Blood Cell Count(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Lymphocytopenia(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Lymphocytosis (High Lymphocyte Count)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Neutropenia (Low Neutrophil Count)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Plasma Cell Disorders(Merck & Co., Inc.)
- White Blood Cell Disorders(Merck & Co., Inc.)
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Related Issues
- Blood Disorders (and Oral Health)(Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine)
- Blood Poisoning: What Does It Mean?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Lupus and Blood Disorders(Lupus Foundation of America)
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Videos
- How Hereditary Spherocytosis Causes Anemia(American Society of Hematology)
- Red blood cell production - Encyclopedia
- Also available in Spanish
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Games
- Blood Type Game(American Red Cross)
- Play the Blood Typing Game(Nobel Foundation)
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Anatomy/Physiology
- Biology of Blood(Merck & Co., Inc.)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hematologic Diseases(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hematologic Diseases
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Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: Aceruloplasminemia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Cyclic neutropenia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Dyserythropoietic anemia and thrombocytopenia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Hereditary spherocytosis(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Jacobsen syndrome(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: McLeod neuroacanthocytosis syndrome(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Methemoglobinemia, beta-globin type(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Neuroferritinopathy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Polycythemia vera(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Severe congenital neutropenia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: X-linked sideroblastic anemia(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Aceruloplasminemia
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Hematology Glossary(American Society of Hematology)
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Directories
- Find a Hematologist(American Society of Hematology)
- Red Cross Blood Services Regions(American Red Cross)
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Organizations
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Statistics
- 56 Facts about Blood(America's Blood Centers)
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Children
- What's Blood?(Nemours Foundation)
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Teenagers
- Blood Types(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Blood(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Seniors
- Anemia and Other Blood Disorders(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
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Patient Handouts
- Hyperviscosity - newborn
- Also available in Spanish
- Neutropenia - infants
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
- Acquired platelet function defect
- Agranulocytosis
- Arterial stick
- Blood differential
- Blood smear
- Blood typing
- Capillary sample
- CBC
- Coombs' test
- Cord blood
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Donath-Landsteiner test
Fibrinogen
Ham test
Haptoglobin
Hematocrit
Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin C disease
Hemoglobin electrophoresis
Hemoglobinopathy
Hemolytic crisis
Hereditary elliptocytosis
Hereditary ovalocytosis
Hyperviscosity - newborn
Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase
Megaloblastic anemia
Methemoglobinemia
Methemoglobinemia - acquired
Methylene blue test
Neutropenia - infants
Osmotic fragility
Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (PCH)
Polychromatophilia
Pyruvate kinase deficiency
RBC count
RBC indices
Red blood cell production
Serum hemoglobin
Sugar-water hemolysis test
Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome
Venipuncture
WBC count
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Donath-Landsteiner test