BLOOD AND HEMATOPOIESIS

Constituents of blood
• Blood a specialized CT- consist of formed elements and
a fluid extracellular matrix- plasma
• Formed elements; erythrocytes, granular leukocytes,
lymphocytes, monocytes and platelets
• All blood cells are derived from a single multipotential
stem cell located in the bone marrow by process called
Hematopoiesis
• Hematopoiesis is responsible for the continuous
replacement of blood cells throughout life
• Hematopoietic tissue is specialized CT derived from the
mesenchyme (mesoderm) and located in the bone
marrow
 Bone marrow
• Functions; production of blood cells, destruction of worn out blood
cells , storage of iron, site of maturation of B-lymphocytes
• Common sites of hematopoeisis in adults; vertebrae, skull, sternum,
ribs and proximal femurs
• Red marrow consist of a connective tissue stroma arranged into
hematopoietic cords separated by sinusoidal capillaries
(discontinuous)
• Stroma is a meshwork of reticular cells and reticular fibres
supporting the hematopoietic cells and fixed macrophages
• Reticular cells also produce growth factors that regulate the
proliferation, differentiation and maturation of blood cells.
• Sinusoids are large thin walled capillaries that allow free exchange
of cells with the bone marrow
 Hematopoietic stem cells
• The pluripotential hematopoietic Stem cell has capacity for self-renewal and
differentiation
• The stem cell can self-renew by mitosis to maintain a reservoir of stem cells
• It can differentiate into multipotential progenitor cells that form all the different
types of cells found in blood
• The stem cell differentiates into the two progenitor cells, lymphoid cell and
myeloid cell
• Cells of lymphoid series mature in lymphoid organs while cells of myeloid series
mature in bone marrow
• Lymphoid progenitor cells differentiate into lymphoblasts that form lymphocytes
• Myeloid progenitor cell differentiate into precursor cells (blasts) that give rise to
erythrocytes, granulocytes, monocytes and platelets
• Committed progenitor cells are also called colony forming cells CFCs
• Stem cells and progenitor cells are capable of mitosis and self-renewal
• Precursor cells (committed cells/ -blasts) are capable of mitosis only
• Mature cells are incapable of mitosis/ self-renewal
Erythropoiesis- myeloid series
 Granulopoiesis- myeloid series
• Maturation involves formation of specific
granules and azurophilic granules(lysosomes)
• Nucleus becomes lobed (3-5 in neutrophils, 2
in eosinophils and s-shaped in basophils)
• Stages of maturation; myeloblast -
promyelocyte- myelocyte (neutrophilic,
basophilic and eosinophilic)- metamyelocyte-
band cell - mature granulocyte
 Monocytopoiesis- myeloid series
• Myeloid cell -
monoblast-
promonocyte-
monocyte
• Mature cell has
azurophilic granules,
basophilic cytoplasm
and indented nucleus
Megakaryocytopoiesis- myeloid series
Lymphopoiesis- progenitor is lymphoid
cell
Bone marrow tissue
 Other clinical correlates
• Blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma
and sickle cell anaemia are treated using bone
marrow transplants
• Cancer chemotherapy destroys mitotic cells of
the bone marrow with resultant anaemia