Final answer:
MCH measures the concentration of hemoglobin in red blood cells. It is distinct from hematocrit, which is the volume percentage of erythrocytes in blood, or MCV, which measures the size of RBCs. Thus, the correct answer is B. MCH measures the concentration of hemoglobin in red blood cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
MCH, or mean corpuscular hemoglobin, refers to the average amount of hemoglobin in a single red blood cell. This is different from other measures of red blood cell (RBC) characteristics such as hematocrit, which measures the volume percentage of erythrocytes in a sample of centrifuged blood, or mean corpuscle volume (MCV), which measures the average size of RBCs. Hence, for the student's question, the correct answer would be B. MCH measures the concentration of hemoglobin in red blood cells.
Other assessments mentioned in the provided information, such as the rate of red blood cell sedimentation, specifically refer to different parameters. Sedimentation rate tests for inflammation, not directly quantifying anything about RBCs themselves, whereas hematocrit deals with the percentage of RBCs in blood, and MCV deals with their size. When evaluating RBCs and their functionality in carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide, MCH provides an important clue into the health of these cells and the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.