thalassemia
[ thal-uh-see-mee-uh ]
nounPathology.
a hereditary form of anemia, occurring chiefly in people of Mediterranean origin, marked by the abnormal synthesis of hemoglobin and a consequent shortened life span of red blood cells.
Origin of thalassemia
11932; <Greek thálass(a) sea (alluding to the Mediterranean Sea; the anemia was first reported among children in Mediterranean countries) + -emia
- Also called Cooley's anemia.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
Scientific definitions for thalassemia
thalassemia
[ thăl′ə-sē′mē-ə ]
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
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse