Explain how the bone marrow receives nutrients to survive. ...

[jlmhmf]

Explain how the bone marrow receives nutrients to survive.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What would you expect to see on microscopic examination of a stained blood smear if the patient has had a splenectomy and why?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[johnharpe]

Answer to Question 1

Answer: The bone marrow receives nutrients primarily through the nutrient artery and the periosteal capillary. The capillaries join with the venous sinuses as they re-enter the marrow. The
sinuses gather into wider collecting sinuses that then open into the central longitudinal vein (central sinus).

Answer to Question 2

Answer: You would expect to see erythrocyte inclusions such as Howell-Jolly bodies and Pappenheimer bodies and in some cases abnormal erythrocyte shapes. This is because the spleen is responsible for pitting inclusions from RBCs and culling abnormal RBCs. The liver can remove some of these abnormal cells but is not as effective as the spleen in doing so.