Bone Marrow Bone marrow is soft, gelatinous tissue found in hollow spaces in the interior of most bones. It is highly vascular and enriched with many blood vessels and capillaries. The average weight of bone marrow is about four percent of the total body weight (Bone Marrow Anatomy). Bones that contain bone marrow are: the hip bone, breast bone, skull, ribs, vertebrae, shoulder blade and thigh bone. Bone marrow contains immature cells, called stem cells. It is the place where new blood cells are produced. 200 billion new red blood cells are made by bone marrow within a lifetime. Healthy bone marrow produces between 150 thousand to 450 thousand platelets per microliter of blood (the amount of blood that fits on the head of a pin) each day.
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Healthy bone marrow and blood cells are needed in order to live. It produces red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells. Each type of blood cell produced by bone marrow has an important job. Red blood cells’ function is to carry oxygen to various tissues throughout the body. The production of red blood cells is called erythropoiesis. It takes about seven days for a mature red blood cell to be produced. When the body is lacking oxygen, the kidneys produce a hormone called erythropoietin. Erythropoietin then stimulates bone marrow to produce new red blood cells. The body does this by entering the blood stream and traveling throughout the body, exposing all cells to the erythropoietin. However, only red blood cells react to the erythropoietin. As new red blood cells are produced they enter into the blood stream and increase the oxygen carrying capability. They are continuously replaced, and have a restricted lifespan of about four months (“What Does My Bone Marrow Do?”). Typically, about one percent of the body’s total red blood cells are replaced every day. Erythropoiesis takes place when there is a lack of oxygen (UCSF Benioff Children’s
Healthy bone marrow and blood cells are needed in order to live. It produces red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells. Each type of blood cell produced by bone marrow has an important job. Red blood cells’ function is to carry oxygen to various tissues throughout the body. The production of red blood cells is called erythropoiesis. It takes about seven days for a mature red blood cell to be produced. When the body is lacking oxygen, the kidneys produce a hormone called erythropoietin. Erythropoietin then stimulates bone marrow to produce new red blood cells. The body does this by entering the blood stream and traveling throughout the body, exposing all cells to the erythropoietin. However, only red blood cells react to the erythropoietin. As new red blood cells are produced they enter into the blood stream and increase the oxygen carrying capability. They are continuously replaced, and have a restricted lifespan of about four months (“What Does My Bone Marrow Do?”). Typically, about one percent of the body’s total red blood cells are replaced every day. Erythropoiesis takes place when there is a lack of oxygen (UCSF Benioff Children’s