Before delving fully into the meaning of the term bone marrow, let's know the etymological origin of the two words that give it shape:
-Médula, first of all, derives from Latin, exactly from "medulla." It was used to refer to both the pith and the inner part of the stems and roots of different plants.
-Osea, secondly, also comes from Latin. In its case, it comes from "osseus", which is the result of the sum of two lexical components of that language: the noun "ossum", which can be translated as "bone", and the suffix "-eo", which is used to indicate “belonging to”.
The soft matter found inside the bones is called bone marrow . This organic substance appears as red marrow (which produces blood cells) and as yellow marrow (also called marrow ).
About 4% of an adult's body mass corresponds to bone marrow. Approximately 500,000 million red blood cells are produced there every day.
It is important to know that the bone marrow produces blood cells such as white blood cells, which fight infections; red blood cells, which transport oxygen, and platelets, which are responsible for preventing bleeding in the body.
Erythropoiesis takes place in the red bone marrow : that is, the production of erythrocytes (red blood cells or red blood cells). As it contains stem cells , it also generates the rest of the blood cells, such as platelets and leukocytes . Yellow bone marrow , meanwhile, is an adipose organic tissue found in long bones.
It is important to mention that the bone marrow can be affected by diseases such as leukemia and tuberculosis . Typically, to make a diagnosis, a sample of red bone marrow is removed with a needle that enters the iliac bone.
To regenerate the central nervous system it is possible to resort to a bone marrow transplant . When there is compatibility between the donor and the recipient, bone marrow is extracted from the (living) donor through a puncture and aspiration that is usually performed in the hip or sternum. This marrow is then transfused to the recipient.
In order to be a bone marrow donor, it is necessary that the person be between 18 and 50 years old, weigh more than 50 kilos and be in good health. Likewise, in order to be able to do so, it will be necessary for the person to have the HLA of the cells to be donated, the so-called "genetic fingerprint" of those cells. And that element will be the factor that will determine, when the time comes, that the donor is compatible with the transplant recipient. Hence, if there is compatibility, said intervention can be carried out.
It should be noted that the bone marrow should not be confused with the spinal cord . The spinal cord is a cord that is the continuation of the brain and transmits nerve impulses to the spinal nerves.