Characteristics of colony growth from normal human bone marrow

The number of granulocyte/macrophage colonies grown in vitro from bone marrow cells obtained from 90 rib segments and 30 ;normal' bone marrow aspirates was found to be highly variable. Considerable variation was also noted in the relationship between colony number and the number of cells cultured in both groups. The aspirate group was found to have a significantly greater ability to form colonies without the addition of colony-stimulating factor to the culture medium at low cell concentrations.