Anti-Platelet antibody (ab53304)

Like red blood cells, platelets are anuclear (no cell nucleus) and discoid (disc shaped); they measure 1.5 to 3.0 µm in diameter. The body has a very limited reserve of platelets, so they can be rapidly depleted. They contain RNA, a canalicular system, and several different types of granules; lysosomes (containing acid hydrolases), dense bodies (containing ADP, ATP serotonin and calcium) and alpha granules (containing fibrinogen, factor V, vitronectin, thrombospondin and von Willebrand factor), the contents of which are released upon activation of the platelet. These granule contents play an important role in both hemostasis and in the inflammatory response. Platelets or thrombocytes are the cell fragments circulating in the blood that are involved in the cellular mechanisms of primary hemostasis leading to the formation of blood clots. Dysfunction or low levels of platelets predisposes to bleeding, while high levels, although usually asymptomatic, may increase the risk of thrombosis. Platelets are produced in the bone marrow; the progenitor cell for platelets is the megakaryocyte. It is about twelve times larger than an erythrocyte, possesses a lobed nucleus and sheds platelets into the circulation.

Cell Membrane