Hemopoiesis

Hemopoiesis (also known as hematopoiesis) refers to the production of all blood cells: red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets. Hemopoiesis is most effective in the bone marrow although other tissues, such as the spleen and liver, may provide additional sites of blood cell production.

Hemopoietic stem cells have the ability to develop into common myeloid progenitors and common lymphoid progenitors (Fig. 1.1). Erythrocytes, megakaryocytes, and all leukocytes (except lymphocytes, are generated from common myeloid progenitors. The first level of committed differentiation is within the precursor cell compartment. The bone marrow microenvironment provides the structural and biochemical support for normal hemopoiesis. Growth factors, transcription factors, adhesion molecules, interleukins, and other mediators comprise a complex system which responds to increased demands when required and maintains a finely-tuned balance under normal circumstances. The expression and availability of these factors influence the balance among the various committed lineages.

Figure 1.1: The cells of the blood and lymphoid organs and their precursors in the bone marrow.
Figure 1.1: The cells of the blood and lymphoid organs and their precursors in the bone marrow.
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Veterinary Clinical Pathology: An Introduction Copyright © by Marion Jackson; Beverly Kidney; and Nicole Fernandez is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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