Blood cells
The different blood cells made inside bone marrow are:

• Red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body
• White blood cells that make up the body's immune system
• Platelets which are needed for clotting.

An indicator of disease
Bone marrow will indicate blood-related diseases like leukaemia. Using a small needle, bone marrow can be drawn from a bone and examined.

Some diseases of bone marrow

Reticulum cell sarcoma of bone

• A cancerous tumour of the bone marrow
• More males than females develop this tumour
• Symptoms include pain and swelling
• Treatment includes irradiation therapy.

Leukaemia

• Cancer of the blood, which starts in the bone marrow
• The exact cause is unknown,
• Symptoms include anaemia, bruising and nose bleeds
• Treatment includes chemotherapy (drugs) and radiotherapy, and may include bone marrow transplantation.

Aplastic anaemia

• The bone marrow stops making enough blood cells
• People between the ages of 15 and 30 are most at risk
• Can be present at birth or may be caused by certain drugs, chemicals or radiation.
• The cause is unknown for around half of all cases.
• Symptoms include weakness, fever, skin haemorrhages
• Treatment can include blood transfusions or a bone marrow transplant.

Bone marrow transplants
For a successful bone marrow transplant, the donor needs to have the same tissue type. If the donated marrow isn't a close match, the donor's marrow will reject the recipient's body. A person's tissue type can be checked with a simple blood test. In a transplant operation, the recipient's marrow is treated with drugs and x-rays. Then the donor marrow is injected into the recipient's blood. The donor marrow finds the bones and settles into the cavities.

Where to get help

• See your doctor for information and referral.

Things to remember

• Blood cells are made inside bone marrow.
• Diseases of bone marrow affect the production of blood cells.
• Bone marrow transplants involve the matching of tissue types of the donor and the recipient.