Learn where blood cells are made and why understanding hematopoiesis is key in diagnosing and treating blood disorders.
WHAT IS HAEMATOPOIESIS?
Haematopoiesis is the process where hematopoietic stem cells transform into red cells, white cells, and platelets to support immunity, oxygen transport, and clotting.
WHERE DOES IT HAPPEN?
In adults, haematopoiesis primarily occurs in the bone marrow of the pelvis, vertebrae, sternum, and skull, where stem cells actively generate new blood cells.
DEVELOPMENTAL SHIFT OF LOCATIONS
Blood cell formation changes with age: yolk sac in embryos, liver and spleen in fetuses, long bones in children, and bone marrow in adults.
THE ROLE OF BONE MARROW
Bone marrow contains stem cells, stromal support cells, and a vascular network that regulates growth, differentiation, and release of mature blood cells.
HSCs self-renew, enter dormancy when needed, and differentiate into all blood lineages, making them essential for lifelong blood production.
BLOOD CELL LINEAGE ORGANIZATION
Blood formation follows a hierarchy where stem cells become progenitors and then develop into myeloid or lymphoid lineages.
EXTRAMEDULLARY HAEMATOPOIESIS
When bone marrow function is impaired or demand increases, the liver, spleen, or lymph nodes may resume blood production, often seen in certain diseases.
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