Umbilical cord blood. Bag of umbilical cord blood being held by gloved hands. Samples for testing have been obtained and the bag will be put into a cr

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Umbilical cord blood. Bag of umbilical cord blood being held by gloved hands. Samples for testing have been obtained and the bag will be put into a cryostorage tank for freezing with liquid nitrogen. The blood has been harvested from an umbilical cord and placenta, after the birth of the baby that they supported. After a six month period of quarantine, the blood is used for its blood stem cells. These cells, which develop into red and white blood cells and platelets, can be used to treat diseases like leukaemia, a cancer of the white blood cells. Photographed at the Northern Cord Blood Bank, Newcastle, England, part of the National Blood Service.

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Size: 3741px × 3780px
Photo credit: © COLIN CUTHBERT/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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