Which statement best describes how the Hgb histogram is measured?

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Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes how the Hgb histogram is measured?

The key idea is that the hemoglobin content of red cells is measured after converting all freed Hb into a stable cyanmethemoglobin pigment, then reading its color photometrically. In practice, cells are lysed and Hb is transformed with a cyanide-containing reagent (cyanmethemoglobin). The absorbance is measured at a visible wavelength around 525–540 nm, and the reading is corrected by subtracting the reagent blank, which accounts for any color contributed by the reagents themselves. This approach yields a signal proportional to Hb concentration and is the method used to generate the Hgb histogram, which reflects the distribution of Hb per cell. Other methods that don’t involve releasing Hb and forming cyanmethemoglobin or that omit blank correction don’t accurately describe how the histogram is produced.

The key idea is that the hemoglobin content of red cells is measured after converting all freed Hb into a stable cyanmethemoglobin pigment, then reading its color photometrically. In practice, cells are lysed and Hb is transformed with a cyanide-containing reagent (cyanmethemoglobin). The absorbance is measured at a visible wavelength around 525–540 nm, and the reading is corrected by subtracting the reagent blank, which accounts for any color contributed by the reagents themselves. This approach yields a signal proportional to Hb concentration and is the method used to generate the Hgb histogram, which reflects the distribution of Hb per cell. Other methods that don’t involve releasing Hb and forming cyanmethemoglobin or that omit blank correction don’t accurately describe how the histogram is produced.

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