KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY

Program: MPhil. Haematology

MLT 552
Haemostasis

NAME: Gabriel Abbam

Index Number: PG5100918

Lecturer
Mr. D. Ntiamoah Ofosu
What are Platelets? Discuss whether platelets are cells.

Platelets are small fragments found in blood circulation as managers of vascular integrity and
haemostasis regulators. They play an essential role in the homeostasis of the body and as
modulators of inflammatory response in disease state. Platelets are formed as a result of
cytoplasmic fragmentation of megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. They are anucleated,
discoidal in shape between 3.0 x 0.5µm in diameter and 6 to 11fL in volume. Platelets lifespan
in a healthy individual is about 10 days. Approximately 1x1011 platelets are produced each day
in every healthy individual by the fragmentation of megakaryocytes cytoplasm. This
production is regulated by the cytokine thrombopoietin (TPO) which is synthesized by the liver.
Platelet count in humans is usually in the range of 150-400 x 109/L. Aged platelets are
destroyed by phagocytosis in the spleen and Kupffer cells of the liver.

Platelets as blood component is shrouded with controversies from their real discoverer to their
being cells or not. To one school of thought, platelets are “cells” indispensable to primary
haemostasis and as such, platelets possess every characteristic of cells in addition to their
ability to organize their genes, although they lack nucleus or genes. To another school of
thought, regardless of their haemostatic role, platelets are “dust” for that matter “impurities” or
debris of cell. This is because, they “contaminate” histological preparations, and differ from
cells forming tissues and also from regular blood cells.

According to platelets are “impurities” or “pollutants” community, there are 3 models by which
platelets are formed viz (i) cytoplasmic fragmentation, (ii) platelet budding and (iii) proplatelet
formation. They believe that, the mechanisms by which these anucleated elements are formed
and released from the bone marrow megakaryocytes is controversial. They believe the
anucleated platelets lack genomic DNA but inherit a diverse array of functional coding or non-
coding RNAs and translational machinery from their parent cells (megakaryocytes), enabling
activated platelets to synthesize proteins, suggestive of the possibility of post transcriptional
gene regulation in platelets. Therefore, proteins such as von Willebrand factor (vWF) and
thrombospondin which are found in the matrix of alpha granules of platelets are exclusively
synthesized in the megakaryocytes, and albumin and fibrinogen, through endocytosis of plasma
proteins. Thus, platelets are cell fragments (dust) and not fully cells.
However, platelets are “cells” community defend their position by the physiological properties
of cells found in platelets. To them, the display of receptors by platelets for a variety stimuli
such as;
(i) sensing of exposed vascular sub-endothelium structures with the aid of glycoproteins,
after vessel stress
(ii) reacting to biological response modifiers (cytokines and chemokines) leading to their
activation or inhibition
(iii) sensing and binding to infectious pathogens to form immune complexes, and
(iv) their composition of a functionally complete signalosome, are enough evidence that
platelets are “cells”.
Furthermore, the different mechanisms (apoptosis and senescence) by which platelets die (i.e,
reach their 10-day lifespan) are also supportive of the fact that platelets are “cells”.

From the above discussion, the ability of platelets to distinguish between numerous types of
stimuli and produce appropriate response, clears all doubt that platelets are indeed “cells” not
“particles”.
Reference
Garraud, O. and Cognasse, F. (2015) ‘Are Platelets cells? And if yes, are they immune
cells?’, Frontiers in Immunology/Inflammation, 6(70). doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.0007.

Ghoshal, K. and Bhattacharyya, M. (2014) ‘Overview of Platelet Physiology : Its Hemostatic

and Nonhemostatic Role in Disease Pathogenesis’, The Scientific World Journal, 2014.

Simon, T. L. et al. (2009) Rossi’s Principles of Transfusion Medicine. 4th edn. Wiley
Blackwell.