Uncover the Mysteries: Top 8 Amazing Fun Facts About Bone Marrow You Never Knew
1. Bone Marrow Metropolis
Picture your bone marrow as a bustling metropolis where blood cell workers clock in nine-to-five, maternity leaves result in cell regeneration, and rush hour traffic consists of hematopoietic stem cells changing lanes: Within this lively cityscape of your bones, more than 95% of all blood cells are produced daily by the multi-talented hematopoietic stem cells, each capable of repopulating the entire hematopoietic system on their own!
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2. Bone Marrow Superheroes
Step aside, superheroes: our bone marrow is on the clock, working harder than a caped crusader on a crime-fighting spree! This unsung hero is responsible for churning out a whopping 220 billion new blood cells daily, including an A-list cast of B and T lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, dendritic cells, and megakaryocytes: a veritable Justice League of white blood cells keeping us safe from infections and diseases. Who needs Batman when you've got bone marrow?
Source => medicalnewstoday.com
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=> Fun Facts about Health
3. Umbilical Cord Overachievers
Who knew umbilical cords were such overachievers? It turns out they belong in the superhero section, right alongside Wonder Woman's lasso and Spiderman's web: Cord blood collected from a newborn's umbilical cord can treat life-threatening diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease, and severe combined immune deficiency, thanks to the stem cells within it. These powerful cells can pave the way for bone marrow transplants that help patients create new, healthy cells and recover faster.
Source => marchofdimes.org
4. Prehistoric Marrow-thons
Bone-appetit: our prehistoric ancestors sure knew how to pick the ultimate marrow-thons! In fact, early hominids foraged for animal bones to savor the rich, buttery goodness of marrow, which today is known to help reduce inflammation, repair stomach lining, and promote gut health, even potentially benefiting leukemia patients when consumed as soup.
Source => beckandbulow.com
5. Spleen-decisive Species
Feeling a little spleen-decisive today? Turns out the spleen can't decide what it's best at either: Different species use their spleens for various purposes, such as hematopoiesis, immune response, blood filtration, and blood storage, with the latter function evolving uniquely in teleosts and mammals, leading to specialized spleens in different groups.
Source => jstor.org
6. Hip Bone Marrow Switcheroo
Roll up your sleeves and prepare to get hip with bone marrow – the jelly-like superhero that's got us all bones-over-feet in awe: Red marrow produces red and white blood cells, converting to yellow marrow in emergencies for extra supply, all while stashing fats in adipocytes as a bone buffet. With age turning half our red marrow yellow, the versatile switcheroo saves the day for disastrous diseases, doubling as the secret sauce to successful transplants. Talk about a hidden gem in our skeletal system!
Source => pbmchealth.org
7. Blood Stem Cell Mysteries
Before Sherlock Holmes could deduce whodunit or Harry Potter's wand could conjure a Patronus, there were scientists piecing together the mystical puzzle of our bodies, brewing strong potions of knowledge in their laboratories: In the swinging 1960s, they finally identified blood stem cells—haematopoietic stem cells—which reside in bone marrow, birthing all blood and immune cells, after their existence had been theorized long before in the 19th century.
Source => eurostemcell.org
8. Marrow-tastic Wound Healing
Hold onto your funny bones, because things are about to get marrow-tastic: Bone marrow plays a starring role in the underrated drama of wound healing, boasting a variety of cells that transform themselves into tissue-forming superheroes, championing the cause of angiogenesis and fibroblast migration like true cellular masters.
Source => stemcellres.biomedcentral.com