A thrombocyte is a piece of a larger cell called a megakaryocyte. Thromboyctes, also called platelets, are found in the blood. In general, its main purpose is to help blood clot when necessary, such as when a cut in the skin occurs. There are several types of thrombocyte disorders that can affect the blood’s ability to clot when needed. The production of thrombocytes is generally controlled by the liver and bone marrow. When more thrombocytes are needed in the body, the liver produces a hormone called thrombopoietin that stimulates the bone marrow to produce more megokaryocytes, which can then be broken up into hundreds of smaller thrombocyte pieces. In general, a thrombocyte only lasts in the body for about seven to ten days, at which point it is usually destroyed by the spleen. One of the primary roles of thrombocytes is to help blood clot. Thrombocytes are suited to this function well because these typically have sticky proteins on the outer surfaces and the ability to stretch and change shape. This means that when it comes in contact with broken blood vessels, the sticky proteins are usually able to attach to the cells in the broken vessel walls and to other thrombocytes. Together, these thrombocytes usually then bend and stretch to form a plug in the broken vessel. This process can happen both inside the body, such as to help stop internal bleeding, and outside the body, such as to help stop bleeding from a cut.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 08:57:54 +0000
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