Development of the hematopoietic system
De Bruijn M., Palis J.
The hematopoietic system is one of the first organ systems to develop during mouse embryogenesis. It develops in close association with the vasculature, from hemogenic angioblasts in yolk sac blood islands and hemogenic endothelium in the yolk sac vascular plexus and major intraembryonic arteries. This close link with the developing vasculature ensures that the emerging blood cells can immediately enter the circulation and seed the hematopoietic organs of the fetus. This chapter describes the sites and timings of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) emergence and the sites of HSPC colonization and differentiation in the mouse embryo. We also briefly touch upon parallels with human hematopoietic development.