Platelet Facts

• Are cell fragments formed by the

pinching off of bits of cytoplasm
from large cells within the bone
marrow
• About 1.5 trillion in an avg.. adult
• Live for about seven days
• 200 billion are produced a day
Platelets main function is
to clot blood. Therefore
we can refer to them as the

of the blood.
Anatomy of a blood clot
• An injured
blood vessel
releases an
enzyme
triggering a
complex series
of reactions to
form a clot.
 Anatomy of a clot # 2
• Platelets
clump at the
site of
injury and
release
fibrin.
Anatomy of a clot # 3
• Fibrin forms
a network of
strands that
traps RBC’s
and platelets
to form a
clot.
A sex-linked disease in which
there is a missing or
malfunctioning clotting factor.
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