platelet

[ pleyt-lit ]

noun

, Cell Biology.

1. a small platelike body, especially a blood platelet.

platelet

/ ˈpleɪtlɪt /

noun

1. a minute cell occurring in the blood of vertebrates and involved in clotting of the blood Formerly calledthrombocyte

platelet

/ plāt′lĭt /

1. Any of the numerous small, round cell fragments found in the blood of mammals that function in the clotting of blood. Platelets contain no nuclei and are formed in the bone marrow from precursor cells called megakaryocytes . Platelets contribute to the coagulation process by adhering to damaged blood vessels, fibrinogen, and other platelets. An inadequate number of platelets leads to uncontrolled bleeding.

Word History and Origins

Origin of platelet¹

First recorded in 1890–95; plate ¹ + -let

Word History and Origins

Origin of platelet¹

C19: a small plate

Example Sentences

“The vertebrate's natural body defenses against blood loss and invasion include blood clotting, platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction and immune defenses. Most if not all blood feeding parasites secrete a form of saliva into the feeding site that contains many different proteins and even chemicals that target host defenses.”

From Salon

The side effect is a type of blood clot, often in the brain, combined with low platelet levels, almost always within a few weeks after receiving the first dose.

From BBC

Platelets are cells that help your blood clot, and it was so unusual to see blood clots combined with low platelet levels, that experts coined a new medical term: vaccine-induced thrombosis with thrombocytopenia, or VITT.

From BBC

The researchers traced this population of platelets to its stem cell origins, finding what they identify as the first-ever-discovered age-specific development pathway from a stem cell to a distinct mature platelet cell.

From Science Daily

Platelet cells are one of three types of blood cells produced by the body, with red and white blood cells being the other two.

From Science Daily