chlorosis

/klə'rousis/

Thân thiện

A young woman with chlorosis rests in a garden chair, looking pale with a slight greenish tint to her skin.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A form of anemia, specifically iron deficiency anemia, occurring primarily in young women: This medical condition is characterized by symptoms including physical weakness, menstrual irregularities, and a distinctive greenish pallor to the skin.
   • (Botany) A condition in plants where leaves turn yellow or pale green due to a lack of chlorophyll: This is caused by factors such as nutrient deficiency, disease, or poor growing conditions, impairing the plant's ability to photosynthesize.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Medical):

  • In the 19th century, chlorosis was a common diagnosis for young women presenting with fatigue and a pale complexion.
  • The doctor suspected chlorosis due to the patient's symptoms of weakness and the unusual greenish tint to her skin.

• Noun (Botany):

  • The rose bushes are suffering from chlorosis, as their leaves are turning yellow while the veins remain green.
  • Iron deficiency in the soil is a leading cause of chlorosis in citrus trees.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical medical contexts, as the specific diagnosis of "chlorosis" has become less common in modern medicine, replaced by more precise terms like "iron deficiency anemia."
• In botany, specifying the cause is common, e.g., "iron chlorosis" or "nitrogen chlorosis."

Variants and Related Words

• Chlorotic (adj): Describing the state of having or relating to chlorosis.
  • The plant exhibited chlorotic leaves.
  • She had a chlorotic appearance.

Synonyms

• Greensickness (n, archaic): An old-fashioned term for the medical condition chlorosis in young women.
• Iron deficiency anemia (n, medical): The modern general term for the medical condition.
• Yellowing (n, botany): A general descriptive term for the plant symptom.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The primary distinction is between the medical and botanical meanings. The connection lies in the shared characteristic of paleness or loss of normal green color (chlorophyll in plants, healthy red blood cells in humans).
• The medical definition is now considered somewhat historical, while the botanical definition is actively used in agriculture and horticulture.

Học thuật

Noun

1. iron deficiency anemia in young women; characterized by weakness and menstrual disturbances and a green color to the skin

Từ đồng nghĩa

• greensickness