What Are Bone Marrow Tests?
Bone marrow tests are used to check whether your bone marrow is healthy. These tests also show whether your bone marrow is making normal amounts of blood cells. Bone marrow is the sponge-like tissue inside the bones. It contains stem cells that develop into the three types of blood cells that the body needs: • Red blood cells carry oxygen through the body. • White blood cells fight infection. • Platelets (PLATE-lets) stop bleeding. Another type of stem cell, called an embryonic (em-bre-ON-ik) stem cell, can develop into any type of cell in the body. These cells aren’t found in bone marrow.
