Apheresis

Apheresis: Medical and Linguistic Perspectives

Apheresis is a term with two distinct meanings across different fields: medical and linguistic. In medicine, it refers to a blood donation process that separates the blood into its components, whereas in linguistics, it denotes a form of elision.

Medical Apheresis

Overview

Medical Definition

In the medical context, apheresis is a procedure in which blood is drawn from a donor or patient, its components are separated, and certain components are retained while the remainder is returned to the donor or patient.

Types of Apheresis

Therapeutic Apheresis

This procedure is used to remove abnormal blood components that contribute to various diseases, thereby providing a therapeutic effect.

Donor Apheresis

Often used in blood banks, this process collects specific blood components, such as platelets or plasma, from donors, and returns the rest of the blood to the donor's circulation.

Process and Technology

The Apheresis Machine

The equipment used for apheresis, known as an apheresis machine, operates on the principle of centrifugation or membrane separation to differentiate and extract blood components.

Procedure Steps

# Blood is withdrawn from the donor or patient.

1. The blood is channeled into the apheresis machine where it is separated.
2. The selected component(s) are collected while the remaining blood is mixed with an anticoagulant.
3. The blood, minus the extracted components, is returned to the donor or patient.

Applications

Clinical Use

Apheresis is utilized in treating various conditions, including autoimmune diseases, certain cancers, and blood disorders.

Blood Donation

It also enables the collection of specific blood products needed for transfusion, such as platelets or plasma, in a more efficient and targeted manner than whole blood donation.

Linguistic Apheresis

Definition

Linguistic Concept

In linguistics, apheresis (also known as aphaeresis) refers to the loss of one or more sounds from the beginning of a word, often occurring in colloquial speech.

Examples

Historical and Modern Instances

Historical examples include the formation of 'round' from 'around', while modern colloquialisms include 'phone' from 'telephone' or 'gator' from 'alligator'.

Significance

Language Evolution

Apheresis is one aspect of language change and evolution, reflecting natural tendencies in casual speech and often leading to permanent changes in a language's lexicon.

See Also

• Blood donation
• Centrifugation
• Dialysis
• Blood transfusion
• Elision (linguistics)

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