What it means
The ending of words for how the body makes something, usually blood cells. Hematopoiesis is the making of all blood cells in the bone marrow, and erythropoiesis is the making of red blood cells, driven by the kidney hormone erythropoietin.
Related terms
hem/o
A word part that means blood.
bone marrow
The soft, spongy tissue inside bones that makes blood cells.
red blood cell
A blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues; also called an erythrocyte.