Hemopoeisis is how the
body produces
red blood cells and
white blood cells.
Every blood cell we have starts out as an
erythrocytoblast or
stem cell in the marrow of a
bone. As the erythrocytoblast develops, it divides into two distinct groups, an
erythrocyte and a
leukocyte. An erythrocyte is a
red blood cell and a leukocyte is a
white blood cell. The erythrocyte has no nucleus and therefore can't divide.
After this first division, the leukocyte continues to divide, forming a
granulocyte and an
agranulocyte. The granulocyte is a cell that is
polymorphonuclear or has a many shaped
nucleus. The agranulocyte is a
single, definite nucleus.
The next division on the side of the granulocyte forms
basophils,
neutrophils, or
eosinophils. Basophil is a white blood cell that is the least common, making up 2% of the white blood cells. When
stained to determine
white blood cell type, the basophil will turn blue. The most common white blood cell type is a neutrophil. The neutrophil is the first to the site of the
infection. To get to the infection, a neutrophil can pass through the blood vessels into the tissue where it may
fight infection. If a large amount of neutrophils are present in the blood stream, then
severe cell damage is taking place. A single neutrophil can devour 6-25
bacteria. Neutrophils stain
purple when tested for white blood cell type. The last of the -phils is eosinophil. Eosinophil is a white blood cell that stains red when tested for it's white blood cell type.
On the other side of the reaction is the agranulocyte division. The agranulocyte divides into a
monocyte, a
type-t lymphocyte, and a
type-b lymphocyte. The monocyte is a larger and more powerful version of the neutrophil. Monocytes are stored in the
marrow of a bone and
released as bacteria enter the body. A monocyte can
devour about 100 bacteria before itself perishing. The monocyte, however, is slow in getting to an
infection. A large presence of monocytes in the body
indicates a long-term infection. The type-t
lymphocyte is a cell that produces
anitbodies against a
disease. The antibodies are carried on the
cell membrane of the type-t lymphocyte and attach to passing antigens. The type-t lymphocyte then kills the
antigen. Type-b lymphocytes are cells that produce
plasma cells.
Plasma cells are cells that produce a certain type of antibody then remember it. The reason you get
chicken pox once is becasue these plasma cells remember the antigen and keep a force of antibodies ready to kill any antigens of that type that enter the
blood stream.
These are the
main cells produced in the process of hemopoeisis. Each serves it's own unique purpose in the body for either transporting oxygen or for fighting diseases.