Anaemia is defined as which description?

• A. A condition characterised by a reduced ability of the body to deliver enough oxygen to the cells due to a lack of healthy red blood cells
• B. A deficiency of platelets
• C. An excess of white blood cells
• D. A condition of excessive blood clotting

Answer: (A)

Anemia is defined by a reduced ability of the body to deliver enough oxygen to the tissues because there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells (or enough hemoglobin) to carry the oxygen. Oxygen transport depends on the red blood cell mass and the hemoglobin inside those cells; when these are low, the blood’s capacity to deliver oxygen to every cell drops, so tissues don’t get what they need. That’s why animals with anemia may show weakness, fatigue, and pale mucous membranes—the body isn’t getting or distributing oxygen efficiently.

The other descriptions refer to different blood disorders: a deficiency of platelets would mainly affect clotting and bleeding, not oxygen transport; an excess of white blood cells points to immune or inflammatory issues; and excessive clotting describes a tendency to form clots rather than carry oxygen.