19 – Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues

The hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues are found throughout the body and function to produce red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells including inflammatory cells that react to various stimuli, such as infectious agents, traumatic injury, and other various conditions. This system is responsible for oxygen delivery to the tissues and for major defenses of the body to injury through reaction and repair. This chapter provides an overview of the histology of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues in rodents and human.