platelets
PLAYT-lits
/ˈpleɪtlɪts/
Tiny, disc-shaped cell fragments in the blood that are essential for normal blood clotting and wound healing.
Technically not complete cells because they lack a nucleus; they are fragments pinched off from larger bone marrow cells called megakaryocytes.
The story behind the word. When scientists first observed blood under early microscopes in the late 19th century, they noticed tiny, flat, plate-like structures floating alongside the larger round red cells. They naturally named them 'platelets' or 'little plates.'
Word relationships
- thrombocytes: The formal medical term derived from Greek, used primarily in clinical laboratory reports.
Commonly confused with
- fibrin: Fibrin is a fibrous protein that forms the mesh of a clot, while platelets are the physical cell fragments that get caught in that mesh to plug the leak.
Word family
- platelet (noun): A single cell fragment involved in clotting.
Collocations
- platelet count
- platelet transfusion
- low platelets
Example sentences
- "Because chemotherapy destroys bone marrow, cancer patients often require transfusions of platelets to prevent dangerous bleeding." Oncology treatment
Memory hook
Think of tiny dinner plates rushing to stack up and plug a leak in a pipe. Little plates that plug leaks.
When not to use
Do not use interchangeably with red or white blood cells, which have entirely different physiological roles.
Fun facts
- Platelets only live for about 8 to 10 days in the body, which is why blood banks always face a shortage of them.
Related words
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