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Bone marrow

Learning objectives

After completing this study unit you will be able to:

  1. Understand the different types of bone marrow.
  2. Explain the differences between red and yellow bone marrow.

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Bone marrow is one of the primary lymphatic organs and is located in the internal cavities of bones. It is divided into red and yellow bone marrow. Blood formation actively takes place in the red bone marrow, which is why it appears red due to the abundance of erythrocytes. In addition to hematopoietic cells and macrophages, there are also reticular cells that synthesize the reticular connective tissue of the extracellular matrix.

In adults, yellow bone marrow predominates, which consists mainly of fat cells and therefore has a yellow appearance. There is no longer any active blood formation taking place here.

Watch the following video to learn more about the histological features of bone marrow:

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