hematopoiesis

[hi-mat-oh-poi-ee-sis, hee-muh-toh-, hem-uh-]

noun

1. the formation of blood.

Other Word Forms

• hematopoietic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hematopoiesis¹

From the New Latin word haematopoiēsis, dating back to 1850–55; hemato-, -poiesis

When To Use

What is hematopoiesis?

Hematopoiesis is the formation of blood.Human blood cells are highly specialized, meaning they are formed to do specific jobs. Yet all blood cells come from the same place. Most of hematopoiesis begins in the bone marrow and blood-creating organs like the liver, where stem cells commit themselves to becoming a certain type of blood cell and are then transitioned into the bloodstream. Hematopoiesis begins when a stem cell receives a signal that a certain type of blood cell is needed. The cell will transition into a precursor cell for either red or white blood cells. Then the cells will begin moving through the body. Eventually, the cell will fully transition into a certain type of red or white cells, such as a granulocyte, erythrocyte, leukocyte, monocyte, or lymphocyte. Some of the matter and cytoplasm that the stem cells shed during their transition becomes blood platelets.Example: When your body begins losing blood, your kidneys send a signal to your cells to accelerate the hematopoiesis process for red blood cells.