The splitting or cleavage of red blood cells into fragments, often leaving the cell membrane partially intact.
From Greek erythro- (red) + cyto- (cell) + -schisis (splitting or cleavage). The -schisis suffix comes from Greek schizein meaning 'to split' and is used for various splitting conditions in medicine like schizophrenia (split mind).
Unlike simple bursting, erythrocytoschisis is a controlled splitting where the red blood cell membrane remains partially attached—it's like a cell politely opening at the seams rather than explosively popping. You can see these fragmented cells in blood smears under a microscope.
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