Chemotherapy Biotherapy Certification ONS Practice Test 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The production of lymphocytes in the bone marrow is primarily stimulated by cytokines and growth factors that influence hematopoiesis, the process by which blood cells are formed. Among the choices, colony-stimulating factors play a vital role in this process.

Colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are a group of glycoproteins that promote the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells. They specifically act on bone marrow stem cells, guiding them to develop into different types of blood cells, including lymphocytes. This process is crucial for maintaining the immune system and ensuring an adequate supply of lymphocytes that are key players in adaptive immunity.

Interferons, while important in regulating immune responses and have roles in enhancing the activity of immune cells, do not primarily stimulate the production of lymphocytes from the marrow. Similarly, interleukins are crucial in cell signaling within the immune system and can influence lymphocyte activation and proliferation; however, they are more associated with the activation of existing lymphocytes rather than the initial stimulation of production. Natural killer cells, on the other hand, are a type of lymphocyte themselves and do not influence the production of other lymphocytes from the bone marrow.

Thus, colony-stimulating