English

Alternative forms

• megacaryocyte

Noun

megakaryocyte ‎(plural megakaryocytes)

1. (anatomy) A large cell, found in bone marrow, responsible for the production of platelets.
   • 1890, W. H. Howell, “Observations upon the occurrence, structure, and function of the giant cells of the marrow”, in Journal of Morphology, volume 4, page 118:

     These have been described as giant cells with budding nuclei (Bizzozero [2]); but it seems to me that they are worthy of a more distinctive name. I shall speak of them hereafter as megakaryocytes, or large nucleated giant cells, while the first class might be named polykaryocytes, or multinucleated giant cells.

   • 1914, Wade H. Brown, “The histogenesis of blood platelets”, in Studies from the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, page 69:

     The evidence of formation of blood platelets from the megakaryocyte is conclusive. Except for the origin of platelets in the early embryo from a forerunner of the megakaryocyte, Wright recognizes no other source for blood platelets in mammals.

   • 2012, Alan D. Michelson, Platelets, page 28:

     Under appropriate culture conditions, the megakaryocyte burst-forming cell can develop into 40 to 500 megakaryocytes within 1 week.

Translations

Related terms

• promegakaryocyte
• megakaryoblast
• megakaryocytic
• amegakaryocytic
• megakaryocytopoiesis