Following a benzene exposure incident in a chemical plant, a worker develops aplastic anemia. Which mechanism explains why red blood cell transfusions alone cannot fully resolve his fatigue?

💡 Explanation

Aplastic anemia, in this case induced by benzene, leads to depletion of bone marrow stem cells, the source of all blood cells. Because the underlying problem is a lack of production rather than merely a loss of red blood cells, transfusions only temporarily alleviate the anemia; therefore, stem cell transplantation or immunosuppression are often necessary, rather than relying solely on transfusions.

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