What is a platelet, and what should be their blood level

Those who have had to donate blood at least once in their lives, certainly paid attention to the fact that along with other indicators, in terms of analysis almost always there are terms such as leukocytes, platelets, erythrocytes, etc., indicating the level of concentration of these cells in One micro-liter of blood. Five on the human anatomy in school was not at all, and to understand what test results mean, everyone needs. Therefore, it is not superfluous to fill the gaps in knowledge and finally find out for yourself what platelets are, what their role in our body is, and what their amount depends on in the blood.

Unfamiliar "blood platelets"

First let's remember what the blood is. This fluid necessary for life contains about 40-45% of the formed cell elements and 60-65% of the plasma, in which salts, vitamins and proteins are dissolved. The smaller part is white (leukocytes) and red cells (red blood cells). In addition to them, there are also platelets. In truth, the latter can not be called real cells, since they do not have a nucleus. When in 1842 in France Alexander Donne found them in the blood, he decided to call them blood plates. At that time, physicians did not really know what platelets are. They assumed that these tiny particles serve as a material for the formation of red blood cells and, unfortunately, did not give them proper importance. By the way, in the English-language literature the term "blood platelets" has remained, but in Russian the word "platelets" has taken root. The latter name was formed from the Greek trombos (clot) and kytos (cage).

What are platelets and what is their role

These particles often have an oval or round shape. Sometimes they look like small stars. Their diameter varies from 1.5 to 10 microns (1 micron corresponds to 10 ^-6 meters). Because of such a small size without a microscope to see what a platelet is, it's absolutely impossible. If you compare their value with the thickness of a human hair, it will be ten times less. "Blood platelets" are formed from giant cells in the bone marrow. From this "factory" they enter the bloodstream, where they change their size and live from 8 to 11 days. The "aged" platelets go to the liver, spleen and lungs, where they turn into "raw materials" for the construction of other tissues. The main function of these particles is to prevent large blood loss in case of injury. For this, platelets carry their service along the walls of the vessels and, at the slightest damage to the integrity of the tissues, immediately rush to save the body. Clamping together, they form a thrombus, which, like a patch, "seals" the torn wall of the vessel, thereby preventing the blood from flowing out.

The level of platelets: what should it be?

On average, in most people this figure is about 200 units. In 1 μl, while the normal value lies in the range of 150 to 300 units. The level of platelets due to surgical operations or inflammatory diseases (for example, rubella, hepatitis, ARVI) may increase. In turn, the lack of "blood platelets" may indicate the presence of leukemia, age changes, diabetes, anemia or allergies. To ensure that the level of platelets was always normal, you should often be in the fresh air, lead a healthy lifestyle, focus on traditional medicine. Take care of yourself and enjoy life - such as it is!