Aplastic Anemia

(ay-PLASS-tik uh-NEE_mee-uh) A rare and serious condition in which the bone marrow bone marrow: The soft, spongy tissue inside most bones. Blood cells are formed in the bone marrow. fails to make enough blood cells - red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The term aplastic is a Greek word meaning not to form. Anemia Anemia: (uh-NEE-mee-uh) A condition in which there is a shortage of red blood cells in the bloodstream. This causes a low red blood cell count. Symptoms of anemia are fatigue and tiredness. is a condition that happens when red blood cell red blood cell: The most numerous type of blood cell in healthy people. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that picks up oxygen in the lungs and brings it to cells in all parts of the body. Also called erythrocyte, RBC. count is low. Most scientists believe that aplastic anemia happens when the immune system attacks the bone marrow stem cells stem cells: Cells in the body that develop into other cells. There are two main sources of stem cells. Embryonic stem cells come from human embryos and are used in medical research. Adult stem cells in the body repair and maintain the organ or tissue in which they are found. Blood-forming (hemapoietic) stem… . Aplastic anemia can be acquired (begin any time in life) or can be hereditary (less common, passed down from parent to child).</p>\r\n