Bone Marrow Transplants

BONE MARROW IS a spongy material that fills the bone cavities. It contains a network of blood vessels and fibers surrounded by fat and cells. At the time of birth, bone marrow can be found in all bones. When the person reaches adulthood, however, not all of the marrow is still functioning. Inactive bone marrow can be found in the bones of legs, feet, hands, and arms; functioning marrow is restricted to the bones of the skull, shoulders, ribs, hips, breastbone, and vertebrae. Bone marrow contains special type of cells—stem cells—that are producing different types of cells by the process of differentiation. This article discusses the fundamentals of bone marrow, stem cells, and the process involving in bone marrow transplantation.

Blood is composed of plasma and ...