əˈsi1932; < Greek thálass(a) sea (alluding to the Mediterranean Sea; the anemia was first reported among children in Mediterranean countries) + -emia
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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thalassaemia or (US) thalassemia (ˌθæləˈsiːmɪə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| Also called: Cooley's anaemia a hereditary disease, common in many parts of the world, resulting from defects in the synthesis of the red blood pigment haemoglobin | |
| [New Latin, from Greek thalassa sea + | |
| thalassemia or (US) thalassemia (ˌθæləˈsiːmɪə, ˈkuːlɪz) | |
| —n | |
| [New Latin, from Greek thalassa sea + | |
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| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
thalassemia thal·as·se·mi·a (thāl'ə-sē'mē-ə)
n.
Any of a group of inherited forms of anemia occurring chiefly among people of Mediterranean descent, caused by faulty synthesis of part of the hemoglobin molecule.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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thalassemia  (thāl'ə-sē'mē-ə) Pronunciation Key
Any of a group of inherited forms of anemia occurring chiefly among people of Mediterranean descent, caused by faulty synthesis of part of the hemoglobin molecule |
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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thalassemia
group of blood disorders characterized by a deficiency of hemoglobin, the blood protein that transports oxygen to the tissues. Hemoglobin is composed of a porphyrin compound (heme) and globin. Thalassemia is caused by genetically determined abnormalities in the synthesis of one or more of the polypeptide chains of globin. The various forms of the disorder are distinguished by different combinations of three variables: the particular polypeptide chain or chains that are affected; whether the affected chains are synthesized in sharply reduced quantities or not synthesized at all; and whether the disorder is inherited from one parent (heterozygous) or from both parents (homozygous)
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