Fatty acid composition of adipose cells in red and yellow marrow: A possible determinant of haematopoietic potential.

The fatty acid composition of whole bone marrow and that of isolated, disaggregated adipose cells from red and yellow marrow was examined by gas chromatography. Consistent and significant shifts from myristic and palmatic acids (in red marrow) to their respective monounsaturated derivatives myristoleic and palmitoleic acids (in yellow marrow) were found. These differences in the fatty acids correlate with histochemical studies and lend further support to the concept that the composition of lipid in the adipose cells of bone marrow may determine their relative stability in relation to haematopoietic requirements.