Erythropoietin

Erythropoietin (/ɪˌrɪθroʊˈpɔɪᵻtən/ or /ɪˌrɪθroʊpoʊˈɛtɪn, -rə-, -ˈiː-, -tən/; from Greek:ἐρυθρός, erythros 'red' and ποιεῖν, poiein 'make'), also known as EPO, hematopoietin, or hemopoietin, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production. It is a cytokine (protein signaling molecule) for erythrocyte (red blood cell) precursors in the bone marrow. Human EPO has a molecular weight of 34 kDa.