Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Blood that appears in the urine. Also known as hematuria. Gross hematuria refers to blood that is so plentiful in the urine that the blood is visible with just the naked eye. Microhematuria refers to blood in urine that is visible only under a microscope; there is so little blood that it cannot be seen without magnification.…

Medically known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage. A very common cause of a painless bloody eye usually first noticed by somebody else or by the person with it when they look in the mirror. The bleeding results from a break in a small blood vessel in the sclera, the white of the eye. This releases a tiny…

Blood in semen (ejaculate) is also called hematospermia. Blood in semen can be caused by many conditions affecting the tubes that distribute semen from the testicles (seminal vesicles) or the prostate gland. The most common cause of blood in semen is inflammation of the seminal vesicles or prostate gland. Blood in the semen can temporarily be…

The major human blood group system. The ABO type of a person depends on the presence or absence of two genes, A and B. These genes determine the configuration of the red blood cell surface. A person who has two A genes has red blood cells of type A. A person who has two B genes has red…

An inherited feature on the surface of the red blood cells. A series of related blood types constitutes a blood group system, such as the Rh or ABO system. The frequencies of the ABO and Rh blood types vary from population to population. In the US, the most common type is O+ (meaning O in the ABO system and positive…

The main sugar that the body makes from the food in the diet. Glucose is carried through the bloodstream to provide energy to all cells in the body. Cells cannot use glucose without the help of insulin. Glucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). The body produces it from protein, fat and, in largest part, carbohydrate. Ingested glucose is absorbed directly…

Blood diseases and disorders affect one or more parts of the blood and prevent your blood from doing its job. Many blood diseases and disorders are caused by genes. Other causes include other diseases, side effects of medicines, and a lack of certain nutrients in your diet.

Removal of blood, usually by venipuncture (phlebotomy, venous blood sampling). Common term for blood sampling for laboratory analysis.