Hemopoiesis

/ˌhɛmoʊpɔɪˈɛsɪs/ noun

Definition

The process by which blood cells are produced and formed in the body, primarily in bone marrow.

Etymology

From Greek 'haima' (blood) + 'poiesis' (making, creation). The term entered medical vocabulary in the early 20th century as a precise term for blood cell generation.

Kelly Says

Your bone marrow manufactures about 2 million red blood cells per *second* through hemopoiesis—if hemopoiesis stopped for just a few days, you'd run out of oxygen-carrying capacity and collapse!

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