megakaryocyte

English

Alternative forms

• megacaryocyte

Etymology

1890, from mega- +‎ karyocyte

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^[1], 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^[2], 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^[3], page 28:

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

Related terms

• erythromegakaryocyte
• promegakaryocyte
• megakaryoblast
• megakaryocytic
• amegakaryocytic
• megakaryocytopoiesis

Translations

large cell found in bone marrow

• Czech: megakaryocyt m
• Finnish: megakaryosyytti
• Italian: megacariocita (it) m
• Spanish: megacariocito m