| |
bone marrow
the soft, spongy material in the cavities of bones, consisting of a network of blood vessels and connective tissue fibers
that hold together fat and blood-producing cells. Its chief function is to manufacture erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets; these blood cells normally do not enter the bloodstream until they are fully developed, so that the marrow contains many
immature cells. There are two types of marrow, red and yellow.

Copyright 2007. An Elsevier publication. All rights reserved.
Click here for important legal information about Dorland's Medical Dictionary.
|