Article
Article
Hematopoiesis
Article By:
Wilt, Fred H. Department of Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California.
Last reviewed:June 2022
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.312900
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- Hematopoiesis, published June 2014:Download PDF
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The process by which the cellular elements of the blood are formed. Blood contains many free-floating cells that are moved throughout the body within the blood vessels. The three main types of blood cells are the red cells (erythrocytes), which serve to carry oxygen; the white cells (leukocytes), which function in the prevention of and recovery from disease; and the thrombocytes (platelets), which function in blood clotting (Fig. 1). In humans, there is only one white cell in the blood for every 700 red cells. See also: Blood; Blood vessel; Cell (biology); Cell differentiation
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