Fascinating facts about bone marrow
How much do you know about your own body?
HEALTH Human body
Bone marrow is the soft, spongy substance that fills cavities in the center of certain bones in your body. Bone marrow manufactures blood stem cells that in turn produce all your essential blood cells, such as red blood cells to carry oxygen and white blood cells to fight infection. Most of us will never experience a problem with this process. But when bone marrow stops producing blood cells or alters production of blood cells, disease sets in—including some forms of cancer. For patients stricken with such disorders, the best hope of a cure is receiving a stem cell transplant.
So, why is bone marrow so vital for our well-being, and what happens when it ceases to function properly? Click through and find out more about the role bone marrow plays in our lives.