Hematopoiesis

Hematopoiesis is the production and development of blood cells from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. In adults, it occurs mainly in bone marrow.

Hematopoietic stem cell: A self-renewing stem cell that can generate all major blood cell lineages. It is the source cell whose renewal and differentiation sustain blood production.
Stem cell self-renewal: The process by which a stem cell divides to preserve at least one cell with stem-cell properties. Self-renewal keeps the hematopoietic stem-cell pool available across a lifetime.
Complete blood count: A laboratory test that measures blood-cell counts and reports indices such as hemoglobin and cell size. Its results provide a routine snapshot of the mature cells produced by hematopoiesis.
Ernest Neumann: A German pathologist who identified bone marrow as a site of blood-cell formation in the nineteenth century. His work helped establish marrow as the central location of adult blood production.
Fetal hematopoiesis: Blood-cell production during development, occurring first in the yolk sac and later chiefly in the fetal liver and bone marrow. The changing sites of fetal production explain how hematopoiesis shifts with development.
Hematopoietic stem cell niche: The bone-marrow microenvironment that regulates hematopoietic stem cell survival, renewal, and differentiation. Signals from this microenvironment help determine whether stem cells persist or produce progeny.
Cell differentiation: The process by which a cell acquires specialized structures and functions. Blood lineages emerge as progenitors progressively acquire specialized identities.
Bone marrow biopsy: A procedure that removes a small core of marrow for microscopic examination. It reveals marrow cellularity, lineage development, and abnormal blood-forming cells.
James Homer Wright: An American pathologist who developed a stain used to distinguish blood cells and platelets. His staining method made the cellular stages of blood formation easier to examine.
Hematopoietic stem cell aging: Age-related changes in hematopoietic stem cells that affect their function and lineage output. Aging can alter blood-cell balance and reduce the resilience of blood production.

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