Platelets
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Platelets (thrombocytes) are normal constituents of blood that are essential for normal hemostasis. They are fragments of megakaryocyte cytoplasm that arise in the bone marrow at a rate of ~1011 per day to maintain a normal concentration of 2 to 3 x 108/mL. Platelets localize to sites of vascular injury to form a plug, which slows or stops bleeding.