Aplastic anaemia results in deficiency of all formed elements due to bone marrow failure. Which statement is true?

• A. It only affects white blood cells
• B. It only affects platelets
• C. Aplastic anaemia involves deficiency of all formed elements
• D. It only affects red blood cells

Answer: (C)

Aplastic anaemia is a bone marrow failure that results in pancytopenia—the deficiency of all formed blood elements (red cells, white cells, and platelets). Because the marrow can’t produce cells across all lineages, the statement that all formed elements are deficient best describes the condition. The other ideas suggest a problem restricted to one cell type, which doesn’t fit the true nature of marrow failure. In aplastic anaemia, patients typically show fatigue from anemia, increased infections from leukopenia, and easy bleeding from thrombocytopenia, reflecting decreases in all three blood cell lines.