Hematopoiesis

Hematopoiesis
• All blood cells arise from a type of cell called the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC).
Stem cells are cells that can differentiate into other cell types; they are self-
renewing—they maintain their population level by cell division.

• In humans, hematopoiesis begins in the embryonic yolk sac during the first weeks
of development. The HSCs migrate to the liver and spleen during third month and
resides there until 7th month. After 7th month, HSCs enter into bone marrow and
continue hematopoiesis until the end of life.
 Hematopoietic stem cell is multipotent

• unipotent
• multipotent
• pluripotent,
• Early in hematopoiesis, a multipotent stem cell differentiates along one of two
pathways, giving rise to either a common lymphoid progenitor cell or a common
myeloid progenitor cell.

• Once it become progenitor cell, it loose its self-renewing capacity.

• HSCs are maintained at stable levels throughout adult life; however, when there
is an increased demand for hematopoiesis, HSCs display an enormous proliferative
capacity.
 Hematopoiesis- process
• Common lymphoid progenitor cells give rise to B, T, and NK (natural killer) cells
and some dendritic cells.
• Myeloid stem cells generate progenitors of red blood cells (erythrocytes), many
of the various white blood cells (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes,
mast cells, dendritic cells), and platelets.
• Mast cells comes from separate mast cell progenitor.
• Red and white blood cells pass into bone- marrow channels, from which they
enter the circulation.
• In bone marrow, hematopoietic cells grow and mature on a meshwork of stromal
cells (nonhematopoietic cells that support the growth and differentiation of
hematopoietic cells).
• Stromal cells include fat cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and macrophages.
• Stromal cells influence the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells by
providing a hematopoietic-inducing microenvironment (HIM).
• Hematopoiesis is a continuous process that generally maintains a steady state in
which the production of mature blood cells equals their loss

• The average erythrocyte has a life span of 120 days before it is phagocytosed and
digested by macrophages in the spleen.

• The various white blood cells have life spans ranging from a few days, for neu-
trophils, to as long as 20–30 years for some T lymphocytes. To maintain steady-
state levels, the average human being must produce an estimated 3.7 1011 white
blood cells per day.
 Programmed Cell Death Is an Essential Homeostatic
Mechanism

• Programmed cell death, an induced and ordered process of cell death. It is a

critical factor in the homeostatic regulation many types of cell populations.
• PCD- Decrease in cell volume, modification of the cytoskeleton that results in
membrane blebbing, a condensation of the chromatin, and degradation of the
DNA into smaller fragments.
• Apoptotic bodies are engulfed by macrophages and phagocytosis occur.

• Necrosis – the changes associated with cell death arising from injury. In necrosis,
the injured cell swells and bursts, releasing its contents and possibly triggering a
damaging inflammatory response.

• PCD maintains the proper numbers of hematopoietic progenitor cells.