PLATELETS

Introduction to platelets:
 Platelets or thrombocytes are the smallest and lightest of the three major
types of blood cells. Produced during hematopoiesis in a sub-process called
thromopoiesis, or production of thrombocytes.
 Normal count is in the range of 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter
of blood, but investigation is only considered if the upper limit exceeds
750,000.
 Produced in the bone marrow, the same as RBC and most of the WBC.
 Platelets are produced from very large bone marrow cells called
megakaryocytes.
 After the development of megakaryocytes into giant cell it undergoes
fragmentation and release over 1000 platelets per megakaryocyte, so they
circulate as fragments of cell.
 Following their formation from megakaryocytes, platelets exist in
circulation for 5–7 days and primarily function as regulators of hemostasis
and thrombosis.
 Thrombopoiten is hormone that control megakaryocyte development.
 Though platelets are merely cell fragments, they contain many structures
that are critical to stop bleeding.
 They contain proteins on their surface that allow them to stick to breaks in
the blood vessel wall and also to stick to each other.
 They contain granules that can secrete other proteins required for creating
a firm plug to seal blood vessel breaks.
 Also platelets contain proteins similar to muscle proteins that allow them
to change shape when they become sticky.

Functions of platelets:
 Prevention from bleeding:
 The principal function of platelets is to prevent bleeding by forming blood
clots. When platelets are stimulated by a break in the blood vessel wall
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 they change shape. They become round and extend long filaments. They
may even look like an octopus, with long tentacles reaching out to make
contact with the broken blood vessel wall or with other platelets.
 With these long filaments, platelets then form a plug to seal the broken
blood vessel.

 Platelet plug formation:

 Under normal conditions: platelets do not usually adhere to the wall of
undamaged blood vessels because the vessel lining tends to be smooth and
coated with a platelet repellent.
 When a vessel is broken: platelets put out long extensions to adhere to
the vessel wall as well as to other platelets. These extensions then contract
and draw the walls of the vessel together. The mass of platelets formed is
known as a platelet plug, and can reduce or stop minor bleeding.

 Coagulation:
 This is the most effective defense against bleeding.
 During bleeding, it is important for the blood to clot quickly to minimize
blood loss, but it is equally important for blood not to clot in undamaged
vessels.
 Coagulation is a very complex process aimed at clotting the blood at
appropriate amounts. The objective of coagulation is to convert plasma
protein fibrinogen into fibrin, which is a sticky protein that adheres to the
walls of a vessel. Blood cells and platelets become stuck to fibrin, and the
resulting mass helps to seal the break in the blood vessel. The forming of
fibrin is what makes coagulation so complicated, as it involved numerous
chemicals reactions and many coagulation factors.

 Vascular spasm:
 This is a constriction of the broken blood vessel and is the most immediate
protection against blood loss.
 Injury stimulates pain receptors, some of these receptors directly innervate
nearby blood vessels and cause them to constrict.

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  After a few minutes, other mechanisms take over. Injury to the smooth
muscle of the blood vessel itself causes a longer-lasting vasoconstriction
where platelets release a chemical vasoconstrictor called serotonin. This
maintains vascular spasm long enough for the other hemostatic
mechanisms to come into play.
 However when there is an injury or cut, and the endothelial layer is broken,
the tough fibers that surround a blood vessel are exposed to the liquid
flowing blood. It is the platelets that react first to injury. These fibers
surrounding the vessel wall, like an envelope, attract platelets and changes
shape, and platelets then clump onto these fibers, providing the initial seal
to prevent bleeding; the leak of red blood cells and plasma through the
vessel injury.
 Thrombocytosis (high blood count) and thrombocytopenia (low platelet
count) are two major umbrella terms used for platelet disorders.

Summary: platelets secrete vasoconstrictors which constrict blood vessels, causing

vascular spasms in broken blood vessels, form temporary platelet plugs to stop bleeding,
secrete procoagulants (clotting factors), dissolve blood clots when no longer needed, digest
and destroy bacteria, Secrete chemicals that attract neutrophils and monocytes to sites of
inflammation and Secrete growth factors to maintain the linings of blood vessels.

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