ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -Platelets are irregularly shaped fragments of cells that circulate in the blood until they are either activated to form a blood clot or are removed by the spleen. Thrombocytopenia is a condition of low levels of platelets and carries an increased risk of bleeding.

Detailed explanation-2: -A tiny, disc-shaped piece of cell that is found in the blood and spleen. Thrombocytes are pieces of very large cells in the bone marrow called megakaryocytes. They help form blood clots to slow or stop bleeding and to help wounds heal.

Detailed explanation-3: -Platelets are produced from very large bone marrow cells called megakaryocytes. As megakaryocytes develop into giant cells, they undergo a process of fragmentation that results in the release of over 1, 000 platelets per megakaryocyte.

Detailed explanation-4: -When there is an injury, platelets release molecules into the blood that help turn on clotting factors. One important clotting factor is fibrin, a long, thin, and sticky protein. When it is turned on, it forms a mesh to hold the platelet plug in place. This is called a fibrin clot.

Detailed explanation-5: -Thus, platelets resemble cell fragments rather than fully licensed cells. One of the strongest arguments is probably that platelets have no genes to reorganize, because they have no nucleus and supporting DNA material (apart from the mitochondrial genome).