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Bone Marrow is a
Vital Organ
It helps keep us moving,
influences overall health
By Angela S. Hoover, Staff Writer
Contrary to
common imagery,
our bones are
not rigid and stiff. Although they are
dense and solid, inside the outer layer
is our bone marrow, one of the body’s
vital organs.
Bone marrow does a lot to keep
our bodies moving smoothly. The red
marrow that is in some of our bones
produces red blood cells, white blood
cells and platelets. Red blood cells
carry oxygen to the tissues; white
blood cells, also known as leukocytes,
help fight infection; and platelets
are fragments of cells that help stop
bleeding. Red marrow produces
about 3 million new red blood cells
per second.
It’s also been recently revealed that
bone marrow adipose tissue may be
part of the body’s endocrine system,
thereby contributing to overall health.
A study published in the journal Cell
Metabolism shows bone marrow
secretes a little-studied hormone that
influences metabolism and is linked
to a reduced risk for diseases such
as diabetes. Researchers from the
University of Michigan found bone
marrow adipose tissue is a significant
source of the hormone adiponectin,
which helps break down fat and
maintain insulin sensitivity. This hormone has also been linked to reduced
risk of obesity-related diseases, such
as certain cancers, cardiovascular
disease and type 2 diabetes. Prior to
this study, bone marrow adipose tissue had been linked to reduced bone
mass and an increased risk of fractures and osteoporosis.
In this study, the scientists concentrated on the role of bone marrow
adipose tissue in patients receiving
chemotherapy and those who have
anorexia. They found when calories
are restricted, the fat tissue may have
a positive and protective role that can
influence adaptive functions outside
of the bone tissue.
It was already known that low
adiponectin is correlated with several
health problems. Now it seems an
important source of this protein –
and potentially others that
have not yet been identified – is the fat tissue
inside bone marrow,
according to co-lead
author Dr. Erica
Scheller.
Another known
process is that adiponectin is secreted
by white adipose tissue, the white body
fat that troubles us.
Adiponectin plays
a key role in
balancing insulin
sensitivity,
and higher
levels of the
hormone
have been linked
to lower risk of
diabetes and
cardiovascular
&
Bone marrow
adipose tissue
may be part
of the body’s
endocrine
system, thereby
contributing to
overall health.
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disease. However, adiponectin levels
paradoxically rise as body fat decreases. So as an individual loses body
fat, their adiponectin levels increase,
rather than decreasing, as might be
expected. Obese people have the lowest levels of adiponectin, which adds
to their risks for developing diseases.
The Michigan research team suggests the reason this relationship has
been frustrating scientists is because
investigations were limited to white
adipose tissue, believing it was the
only source of adiponectin.
Photo by Earlane Cox
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