Blood islands
Blood Islands
Blood islands (pronunciation: /blʌd ˈaɪləndz/) are clusters of developing blood cells in the yolk sac of an embryo. They are the primary sites of blood formation in the early stages of embryonic development.
Etymology
The term "blood islands" is derived from the appearance of these clusters in the yolk sac. They appear as isolated 'islands' in a 'sea' of yolk sac cells.
Development
Blood islands are formed from mesodermal cells, which differentiate into hemangioblasts. These hemangioblasts further differentiate into angioblasts and hematopoietic stem cells. Angioblasts form the endothelial lining of blood vessels, while hematopoietic stem cells give rise to all other blood cells.
Function
The primary function of blood islands is the production of blood cells and the formation of primitive blood vessels in the developing embryo. They are the first sites of hematopoiesis (the process of blood cell formation) in the embryo.
Related Terms
- Hemangioblast: A precursor cell that can differentiate into both a blood cell and a cell of a blood vessel.
- Angioblast: A type of cell that differentiates from a hemangioblast and can develop into a blood vessel.
- Hematopoietic stem cell: A type of cell that gives rise to all other blood cells.
- Hematopoiesis: The process of blood cell formation.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Blood islands
- Wikipedia's article - Blood islands
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