Biomedical scientists are the foundation of modern healthcare, from cancer screening to diagnosing HIV, from blood transfusion for surgery to food poisoning and infection control. Without biomedical scientists, the diagnosis of disease, the evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment, and research into the causes, cures and treatment of disease would not be possible. The Fundamentals of Biomedical Science series is written to reflect the challenges of practicing biomedical science today. It draws together essential basic science with insights into laboratory practice to show how an understanding of the biology of disease is coupled to the analytical approaches that lead to diagnosis. Assuming only a minimum of prior knowledge, the series reviews the full range of disciplines to which a Biomedical Scientist may be exposed - from microbiology to cytopathology to transfusion science. Alongside volumes exploring specific biomedical themes and related laboratory diagnosis, an overarching Biomedical Science Practice volume gives a grounding in the professional and experimental skills with which any Biomedical Scientist must be equipped. The series * Understands the complex roles of Biomedical Scientists in the modern practice of medicine. * Understands the development needs of employers and the Profession. * Addresses the need for understanding of a range of fundamental sciences in the context of Biomedicine. * Places the theoretical aspects of Biomedical Science in their practical context. Haematology provides a broad-ranging overview of the study of blood, the dynamic fluid that interfaces with all organs and tissues to mediate essential transport and regulatory functions. Written with the needs of the biomedical scientist centre-stage, it provides a firm grounding in the physiology of blood, and the key pathophysiological states that can arise. It demonstrates throughout how an understanding of the physiology underpins the key investigations carried out by a biomedical scientist to forge a clear link between science and practice.