Hemophagocytosis

/ˌhɛmoʊˌfæɡoʊsaɪˈtoʊsɪs/ noun

Definition

The process by which cells engulf and destroy red blood cells or blood components.

Etymology

From Greek 'haima' (blood) + '-phago-' (eater) + '-cyte' (cell) + '-osis' (process or condition). This describes the mechanism of immune cell destruction of blood cells.

Kelly Says

Hemophagocytosis becomes a serious medical problem in a rare condition called HLH where this process spirals out of control, causing the immune system to essentially attack and consume its own blood cells.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.