Leukemia is a form of cancer of blood or blood cells. There are several types of leukemia, classified by progress and how the cells are affected. To understand how leukemia affects cells, it’s useful to understand how blood cells work:

White cells, also called leukocytes, are the cells that fight infections in the body and there are several types of such cells.

Red cells are also called erythrocytes and are those cells that give the red color to the blood, transport oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, and release the carbon dioxide to the lungs for disposal.

Blood platelets are also called platelets and help the body to form blood clots to control bleeding.

Besides these cells, the blood still contains a fluid called plasma.

In the case of leukemia, a blood cell changes its function (in most cases it is a white blood cell), and the body increases the production of such cells. These microscopes appear different from healthy cells and do not work properly. The body continues to produce these abnormal and non-functional cells, leaving little room for healthy cells. The disequilibrium between healthy and healthy cells causes the symptoms of leukemia.

When blood cells get old or affected, they die and the stem cell system produces new cells to take their place. A stem cell can produce both myeloid stem cells and lymphoid stem cells. Myeloid stem cells can produce red blood cells and platelets or myeloblasts that produce certain types of blood cells, known as granulocytes. Lymphoid stem cells can produce lymphoblasts, which can also produce certain types of white blood cells other than granulocytes.