Where are blood cells made?
Blood cells are made in the bone marrow. The bone marrow is the spongy material in the center of the bones that produces all of the types of blood cells. There are other organs and systems in our bodies that help regulate blood cells. The lymph nodes, spleen, and liver help regulate the production, destruction, and differentiation (developing a specific function) of cells. The production and development of new cells is a process called hematopoiesis. Blood cells formed in the bone marrow start out as a stem cell. A “stem cell” (or hematopoietic cell) is the initial phase of all blood cells. As the stem cell matures, several distinct cells evolve such as the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Immature blood cells are also called blasts. Some blasts stay in the marrow to mature and others travel to other parts of the body to develop into mature, functioning blood cells.
