Platelets

A 13 year old is studying blood in school, and has asked some questions that haven't been answered in class. I will answer

A person with a normal platelet count has between 150,000 to 450,000 per each microliter of blood in the body. With Thrombocytopenia, patients have platelet counts that are less than 150,000 per microliter of blood. Platelets help to promote blood clotting. When a person receives a cut, or injures themselves, platelets come to the site of injury and bind to damaged vessel, thus causing a blood clot and helping to stop the bleeding that accompanies the injury (Williams). However, with a reduced platelet count, this function can be impaired. Patients can easily bruise or bleed due to even a slight bump, as well as experience nosebleeds. Bleeding gums are another symptom of Thrombocytopenia (MDS Foundation). Based on symptoms, doctors might decide to test a patient for Myelodysplastic

How this process is done? ( Through the following explanation we will understand the function of each component of Haemostasis)

Platelets are not really cells in a way. As Marieb (2012) mentions,” They are fragments of bizarre multinucleate cells called megakaryocytes (meg″ah-kar′e-o-sītz), which pinch off thousands of anucleate platelet “pieces” that quickly seal themselves off from the surrounding fluids” (p. 344) The liver helps produce blood clotting factors. If it is not in working order then the person is not able to stop bleeding as easily as someone who has a properly working liver. There is a correction to help produce the proper amount of blood clotting factors and that is to take Vitamin K.

Leads to a reduced ability to form blood clots due to a decreased number of platelets.

Plasma cells in blood cells are mostly made of water and have lots of useful substances dissolved within it, it main role is to transport the dissolved food to the rest of the body and transport Co2 to the lungs. Platelets are tiny fragments of cells, it is not a full cell and is made in the bone marrow and its job is blood clotting, when a region of the body is damaged a signal is sent and platelets bind together causing a blood clot so no

clotting in vessels. This makes the person more vulnerable if when cut for the blood flow to cease in

Platelets 1)Transport chemicals important to clotting, 2)Form a temporary patch in the walls of damaged blood vessels, and 3)Actively contract after the clot has formed.

Plasma would carry white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets to the injury site, which is the scrape on the hand. Platelets would attach with each other, building a blockade to stop blood flow at the injury site. White blood cells would attack and kill foreign substances that enter through the injury site and try to hurt the body. Red blood cells would provide oxygen at the injury site to help heal the injury, having that platelets have created a blockade.

Venous thrombi, composed predominately of red blood cells but also platelets and leukocytes bound together by fibrin, form in sites of vessel damage and areas of stagnant blood flow such as the valve pockets of the deep veins of

They do this in one of two ways: they either prohibit oxygen from entering the blood or obstruct

The body views the platelets as a foreign body and causes a response that produces antibodies that marks the spleen to destroy and remove the platelets. The platelet count is affected by antibodies produced by individuals with ITP. The antibody produced covers the surface of the platelets making them easily destructible by macrophages. Once the macrophages destroy the platelets faster than they are produced, the number of platelets are greatly reduced causing a decrease in blood clotting.

7.b) Damaged endothelium present an increased risk of blood clotting because it exposes the underlying collagen. Platelets bind to the collagen, and the clotting process is then

Thrombocytopenia means that you have a low number of platelets in your blood. Platelets are tiny cells in the blood. When you bleed, they clump together at the cut or injury to stop the bleeding. This is called blood clotting. Not having enough platelets can cause bleeding problems.

Atherosclerosis disturbs the flow of blood and damages vessel endothelium causing an increase in platelet adherence. There is also an increased sensitivity by platelets to factors that cause adhesiveness and aggregation.