Most blood stem cells are present in the bone marrow, but a few are present in the bloodstream. This means that these so-called peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) can be isolated from a drawn blood sample. The blood stem cell is capable of giving rise to a very large number of very different cells that make up the blood and immune system, including red blood cells, platelets, granulocytes, and lymphocytes.
* Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body and give the blood its color.
* Platelets are cell fragments that stop a person from bleeding and help the body to clot and heal when it is cut.
* Granulocytes are a type of white blood cell that helps fight bacterial infection.
* Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that is part of the immune system, help fight other infections, and also may be involved in protection against cancer.
All of these very different cells with very different functions are derived from a common, ancestral, committed blood-forming (hematopoietic), stem cell.
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