science

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration rather than just read about it. In short: The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) is a measure of the concentration of hemoglobin in a given volume of packed red blood cell. It is calculated by dividing the hemoglobin by the hematocrit.

Key takeaways

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) is a measure of the concentration of hemoglobin in a given volume of packed red blood cell. It is calculated by dividing the hemoglobin by the hematocrit. Reference ranges for blood tests are 32 to 36 g/dL (320 to 360g/L), or between 4.81 and 5.58 mmol/L. It is thus a mass or molar concentration. Still, many instances measure MCHC in percentage (%), as if it were a mass fraction (mHb / mRBC). Numerically, however, the MCHC in g/dL and the mass fraction of hemoglobin in red blood cells in % are identical, assuming an RBC density of 1g/mL and negligible hemoglobin in plasma.

Interpretation A low MCHC can be interpreted as identifying decreased production of hemoglobin. MCHC can be normal even when hemoglobin production is decreased (such as in iron deficiency) due to a calculation artifact. MCHC can be elevated ("hyperchromic") in hereditary spherocytosis, sickle cell disease and homozygous hemoglobin C disease, depending upon the hemocytometer. MCHC can be elevated in some megaloblastic anemias. MCHC can be falsely elevated when there is agglutination of red cells (falsely lowering the measured RBC count) or when there is opacification of the plasma (falsely increasing the measured hemoglobin). Causes of plasma opacification that can falsely increase the MCHC include hyperbilirubinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and free hemoglobin in the plasma (due to hemolysis).

Complicating conditions Because of the way automated analysers count blood cells, a very high MCHC (greater than about 37.0 g/dL) may indicate the blood is from someone with a cold agglutinin, or there may be some other problem resulting in one or more artifactual results affecting the MCHC. For example, for some patients with cold agglutinins, when their blood gets colder than 37 °C, the red cells will clump together. As a result, the analyzer may incorrectly report a low number of very dense red blood cells. This will result in an impossibly high number when the analyzer calculates the MCHC. This problem is usually picked up by the laboratory before the result is reported. The blood can be warmed until the cells separate from each other, and quickly put through the machine while still warm. There are four steps to perform when a suspect increased MCHC (>370 g/L or >37.0 g/dL) is received from the analyzer:

Remix the EDTA tube—if the MCHC corrects, report corrected results Incubation at 37 °C—if the MCHC corrects, report corrected results and comment on possible cold agglutinin Saline replacement: Replace plasma with same amount of saline to exclude interference e.g. Lipemia and Auto-immune antibodies—if the MCHC corrects, report corrected results and comment on Lipemia Check the slide for spherocytosis (e.g. in hereditary spherocytosis, among other causes)

Worked example

See also Red blood cell indices Mean corpuscular volume Mean corpuscular hemoglobin

References

External links FP Notebook

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration

In research: Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Blood tests, Concentration indicators, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration in 20 minutes

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Close the page and write down what Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration means in your own words.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration in simple terms?

Why does Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration.