The Zebrafish as a Model System for the Study of Hematopoiesis

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Abstract
The generation of vertebrate blood cells, a process known as hematopoiesis, involves a progressive restriction of cell potential as differentiation proceeds (Zon 1995). All hematopoietic cells are derived from a common stem cell that is both pluripotent and self-renewing. The stem cell gives rise to multiple committed progenitors, which in turn differentiate to the mature blood cells of the erythroid, myeloid, and lymphoid lineages. Erythroid cells manufacture hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissues of the body; myeloid cells play a role in coagulation and in nonspecific immune response; and lymphoid cells are required for antigen-specific immune response. Thus, a single stem cell gives rise to many cell types that play different roles in the body.