CLINICAL LAB SCIENEC

Glossary
ABO grouping Landsteiner grouping system for
blood groups A, B, AB, and O
Absorbance Measurable amount of light that is not
able to pass through a colored solution
Accreditation Nongovernmental, voluntary process
in which an agency grants recognition to a facility
or institution that meets certain conditions and
standards of excellence
Accuracy Measure of how close a derived value is
to the true value as verified by other analytical
methods
Acetest Test for presence of acetone in urine
Acetoacetic acid Also called diacetic acid; found in
urine along with acetone indicating inadequately
treated diabetes
Acetone Ketone body found in the blood when fats
are metabolized for energy; an organic solvent
Acid (acidity) Having a pH below 7.0
Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) stain Stain used to identify
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (cause of TB)
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS) Disease of the human immune system
characterized cytologically by a reduction in the
numbers of CD4-bearing helper T cells
Activated partial thromboplastin time
(APPT) Amount of time elapsing between the
addition of phospholipids and calcium and the
formation of a fibrin clot
Acute phase Early reaction to a disease process with
a sharp rise in antibody level
Agglutination Clumping together of materials (such
as red blood cells, microorganisms, or particles) in
the presence of specific antibodies
Albuminuria Presence of albumin in the urine,
resulting from renal impairment
Alkaline (alkalinity) Having a pH above 7.0
American Association for Clinical Chemistry
(AACC) Professional organization for registered
clinical chemists
American Association for Respiratory Care
(AARC) Professional organization for respiratory
care professionals
American Board of Pathology Member organization
of the American Board of Medical Specialties that
certifies pathologists
American Medical Technologists
(AMT) Organization providing registry exam
for medical laboratory workers and
phlebotomists
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
(ASCLS) Professional forum for medical
laboratory professionals; presents professional
workshops, supports profession through political
action and public awareness campaigns
American Society for Clinical Pathology
(ASCP) Provides registry by examination for
MLTs, MTs, and phlebotomists
American Society for Microbiology
(ASM) International organization for life science
professionals in microbiology-related fields
Analyte Constituent of body fluid that is being
tested for
Analytical error Error that occurs in the laboratory
during testing, either randomly or through
equipment malfunction or operator performance
Anatomic (or clinical) pathologist The profession of
pathology is divided into two major disciplines:
clinical and anatomical. Anatomic pathologists
work chiefly with surgical specimens of tissues and
organs, and perform postmortem exams. Clinical
pathologists work in close collaboration with
medical laboratory professionals and referring
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